The Legend of Zelda and Peach 2
by Erk Mizuhara
Summary: The sequel to Zelda and Peach. Link and Mario/Maria again find themselves thrust into other worlds. But when time itself keeps changing, what can they do? I do not own the games in the story
1. Prologue

**The Legend of Zelda**

**And Peach**

**(Title Pending)**

**Prologue**

"Still haven't found her." Lakitu sighed, throwing the papers across his desk. He sat in the fourth study hall in the Scholars' University. Three of his agents had sent an update on the search for Princess Daisy. "Not a thing." He kicked the desk in anger.

"Don't blame the desk, dear." Majora said from beside him. He smiled at Lakitu, and Lakitu couldn't help but smile back. It had been two months since Link and 'Maria' had defeated Eo, and Majora had remembered himself. Already, his body was almost its old form. His face was elfish, his ears longer than most, his features hard but eyes gentle. His face very much resembled the Fierce Deity Mask, with the tribal markings and white hair. His face still had a faint trace of a straw-like texture, from when he was Skull Kid. Lakitu sighed again.

"Sorry, love." He said softly. "I just feel like I'm responsible for this."

"You couldn't have known she'd disappear like this." Majora said soothingly, putting an arm over Lakitu's shoulder. "We'll find her, my sweet." He kissed him gently on the cheek. "We'll find her."

"I hope so." Lakitu said quietly. Majora always melted his anger away, be it with a simple touch or kiss. Lakitu could never stay mad when Majora was around. "I wish I could remember what else I'm forgetting, too."

"Well, Maria and Eraf are living together on Earth, Link and Malon are living together in Hyrule, Peach and Bowser are getting along fine in Mushroom Kingdom, Nerra's on Mobius, and Daisy's MIA." Majora listed off. "I don't think you did anything to anyone else."

"No, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone."

"Gaea's doing fine, and so is Pent and Erk, if you're worried about them."

"No, that's not it either." He growled in frustration. "I know it's important."

"Calm down. It won't do any good to get angry."

"Oh, I know, I know." Lakitu moaned.

"Come on, the monthly meeting's about to start. The Head Scholar should be early, not barely on time."

"Yes, yes." Lakitu sighed, calling his cloud to him. "When are they going to get a proper Head? I'm only interim, and I'm sick of it."

"Would you rather be the proper Head?"

"Well, it's better than interim. People don't take me seriously enough. I just hope the next Head doesn't expel me again." He stepped onto his cloud.

"As if I'd let them do that, love." Majora laughed, hugging Lakitu. Lakitu smiled, gathering up the papers on his desk, and the two headed to the Grand Hall.

-

"The worlds grow restless again." One of the Scholars announced. Lakitu sighed. "Mobius and Elibe especially. Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule are moving close to each other, too. Mobius and Elibe are getting closer to each other, and they seem to be moving toward Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule."

"Termina is moving toward those worlds, too." Another added.

"Quite a few worlds seem to be moving toward each other. Gaia, Cerascia and Tohres seem to be bunching together." A third said.

"Mobius, Elibe, Termina, Hyrule and Mushroom Kingdom should be our main concern." Gaea told them. "Gaia has enough people to solve their problems, Cerascia is full of Mystics, and Tohres is a wasteland. Gaia and Cerascia can handle themselves, and Tohres is nothing to worry about."

"True enough." Pent agreed. "I'd focus my attention on Mobius and Elibe. Many strange things are stirring back home."

"Of what nature?" Lakitu asked his friend.

"Our magic is behaving oddly. It varies in casting difficulty and power. Newborn Pegasi are having trouble flying, Wyverns are becoming docile, compared to their proud and violent nature, and monsters that we long thought dead are reviving." Pent said. "Only Erk and Nino seem to be able to control their magics."

"I thought those two would." Lakitu said, smiling. "They've quite a gift. But the creatures worry me. Pent, you can pick a team of Scholars to help you research this if you wish."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Pent said.

"Mobius is still under attack by the Quetzalcoatl." A Scholar spoke up. "We should look into that, too."

"Of course." Lakitu agreed. "I'll arrange a team."

"What about you?"

"Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule and Termina worry me. They were closely linked during the Eo incident. I fear that their coming together again is a sign of..." He trailed off.

"So... It's happening?" Another Scholar asked.

"I believe so." Lakitu sighed.

"Then, we must prepare."

"Yes, we should."

"How long do we have?" The first Scholar asked.

"We don't." Gaea told him.

"What do mean?"

"We can prepare all we like, but we can only warn and inform. If what Majora told us is true, then we cannot alter a thing."

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing." Pent cut in. "We will do what little we can, but no more."

"We should at least-"

"Inform and warn, like Gaea said." Pent snapped.

"My visions are never wrong." Majora told them all. "I spent the past month trying to interpret this."

"The future is now. What becomes of the worlds is entirely dependant upon these next few actions."

"Yet, we must sit by and watch. We cannot interfere."

"Regretably so. I only hope the decisions made are the best ones."

"All we _can_ do is hope."

"Then, let us pray." Lakitu intoned.

--

It may take a while between updates now, as I'm also planning work on a Fire Emblem fanfiction. Also, I've recently moved house, so I'm still trying to get everything sorted and stuff. To top it all off, I'm going to Canada on Wednesday, potentially making it more difficult to write more stuff. I will post stuff as soon as I have it, though. I promise.

For those of you worried about Maria, don't fret. I'll change her back soon, I promise. She just didn't have time to drink the spring water before she had to go back to her world.

Also, the two worlds. I'm not entirely familiar with the two worlds I'm writing in. Thus it may take EVEN longer, as I may have to research things regarding these worlds. Please be patient.

I want to thank everyone for their support on my last story, and if you enjoy this one at least half as much then it's a success as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks again.

--


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Maria**

"Maria!" Eraf called as she walked through the door. "I'm home!" There was no reply. "Maria?" Eraf closed the door, and looked around. She spotted a note on the coffee table. "Hm... 'Gone to Mushroom Kingdom.' Again?" She sighed. "Then I'm going, too. She'll be at Peach's castle." She walked to the warp pipe, and leapt in.

-

Eraf looked around. This wasn't Peach's castle. Where was she? It was definitely a castle, but not Peach's. It looked too large, too grand. The walls had a more gothic theme to them, and there were no portraits.

"Still no word?" Maria's voice sounded from down the hall.

"Nothing." Another female voice said. "I'm sorry." She sounded upset.

"It's okay. Thanks for trying." Maria said gently. Jealousy suddenly flared in Eraf's chest. Was Maria seeing someone else? No, no, calm down. Eraf walked toward the door, and knocked.

"Come in." The other woman said. Eraf opened the door.

"Eraf?" Maria was surprised. "Why are you here?"

"I came looking for you." Eraf told him. "But, this isn't Peach's castle. Where are we?"

"This is Castle Caelin."

"I've never heard of Castle Caelin."

"Well, it's not in the Mushroom Kingdom. I found this world by mistake when I was looking for Luigi once." Maria explained. "I thought Daisy might know, so I thought of her when I went in the warp pipe, and I ended up here."

"And who's this?" Eraf asked, indicating the other woman. She had very long green hair, tied back in ponytail which fell down past her buttocks. Her face was petite with green eyes, but a look of a hardened warrior. She wore an odd green-ish dress, with a slit down one side, purposely revealing a leg.

"This is Lady Lyndis."

"I told you, call me Lyn." Lyndis scolded. "I don't like being called 'Lady', okay?"

"Heard anything about my brother?"

"Not yet."

"I thought that was why you came here?" Eraf asked Maria.

"Well, that too. But Daisy seems to be here, instead of Sarasa Land, so I got a little worried." Maria sighed. "I'll be going now, Lyn." He said to the Lady. The two briefly embraced, and Maria walked out the room. Eraf and Maria entered the warp point, and returned home.

-

"What was that all about??" Eraf screeched.

"W-what was what?" Maria asked.

"That! Hugging that... that... _woman_!!"

"I was just saying goodbye..."

"Goodbye is said with words, not bodies!"

"B-but we..."

"We're a couple, you freak!"

"C-calm down, Eraf."

"And you lied to me! Your note said you were going to the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"I-I did, then I-"

"Are you having an affair with her?"

"Of course not!" Maria snapped, stamping her foot. "I'll never be with anyone but you!"

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it. Lying to me, seeing this Lyndis." Eraf turned away from Maria, but a small grin spread across her face.

"Oh, Eraf... sweetie, I'm sorry." Maria hugged Eraf from behind. She kissed Eraf gently on her neck, making her shudder. It was Eraf's favourite place to be kissed.

"I guess I can forgive you..." Eraf whispered, not trusting her voice while Maria kissed her neck.

"Thank you." Maria said softly, releasing Eraf and walking to the kitchen. Eraf sighed, and sat on the sofa.

"What's for lunch?" She asked.

"Usual."

"Pizza again?" Eraf moaned. "I need something a bit more than that. How about a meal in a nice restaurant?"

"Maybe some other time, love. Luigi used to cook for me. And you know I haven't had work for a while."

"My treat?" Eraf offered.

"Can you afford it?"

"Yeah. I've been working part time at the local shop for a month and a half, and I've been saving all my money."

"Well, if you want to, then we'll go tomorrow." Maria said, smiling.

"Really?" Eraf gasped. "Like a date?"

"Sure, why not?" Maria's smile widened. Eraf giggled happily, and squirmed in her seat with excitement.

"Say, Maria" Eraf said, sounding down all of a sudden.

"Yes?" Maria replied, taking the pizza out of the oven.

"Do you think that we could go to Hyrule someday?"

"Uh..." Maria stopped cutting the pizza. "I'm not sure. It should be possible, but I'm not sure what would happen to you. Why do ask?"

"It _is_ my home, Maria. I want to see Link, too. I never really got to know him."

"You had a crush on Link, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." Eraf said softly, then gasped. "I-I'm over him now! Honest!" She turned to face Maria. "I've got you, I-I'd never-"

"Just teasing, sweetheart." Maria grinned. "Payback for what you said to me."

"B-but that..." Eraf sighed, growled, then faced the TV again. "I guess that makes us even."

"Yup. Now eat up." Maria said, holding a plate to her. Today they were eating cheese and tomato pizza.

"Yeah, yeah." Eraf looked with disdain at her meal. _In Hyrule, food was more appealing._ She thought to herself. _If only I still had my fairy magic, then I'd make something more proper. _As much as Eraf loved Maria, or Mario (not that it mattered to her), she still missed her homeworld, and everything about it. But more than that, she missed her fairy form.

"Eraf?" Maria said quietly.

"Yes?" Eraf asked distantly.

"You really want to see Hyrule again?"

"Of course."

"You do know what could happen, right?"

"Yeah." Eraf shuddered. Disappearing into nothing, according to Lakitu, was the fate of strangers to new worlds. However, Eraf had once been a resident of Hyrule, but had since been living on Earth with Maria. How would Hyrule react to her going back?

"If... it means that much to you..." Maria's voice sounded strained. It sounded like she didn't want to say the words, but was forcing herself to. "Then you can go."

"Really?!" Eraf gasped.

"I'll stay here, as your anchor. I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to go with you."

"I suppose." Eraf agreed, smiling widely. "Oh, but I might go back to fairy form. Do you remember how I look as a fairy?" Maria stared at her, grinning.

"I don't think I could forget, my love." She said, grinning wider. "After you treat me to the restaurant, you can go." Maria gave Eraf a quick kiss on the cheek, then went back to her pizza. Eraf simply sat there, grinning like a fool.

-

The following evening, Eraf and Maria put on their best dresses, and went to eat at the restaurant Eraf had chosen.

"Uh..." Maria was stunned. "Can you really afford this? It looks expensive."

"Don't be silly." Eraf, who was hugging Maria's arm, giggled. "It's a date. I'm allowed to blow my money like this."

"Well, if you're sure." Maria said uncertainly.

"Maria," Eraf said, tugging her into the restaurant, "You're the one who's careful with your money, so we can live, and I'm the one who likes to buy extravagant things. We've been together for two months, how do you not get how this works?"

"Table for two?" The waiter asked. The voice he spoke with, one of a posh, refined gentleman who believed that he alone was worth something, and all others were below him, annoyed Eraf. No matter how hard she tried to control herself, such voices made her angry.

"Two, yes." She said sharply. "Can't you count?"

"Eraf, calm down." Maria sighed. "I'm sorry, sir."

"It's quite alright, madam." The waiter said, the 'holier-than-thou' voice subsiding slightly. "Allow me to show you to your table."

"Please do." Maria said gently. She and Eraf, who was quietly seething, followed the waiter to a two-seated table.

"A menu each." The waiter said kindly. "Let me know when you're ready to order." He walked away.

"Eraf, what the hell??" Maria hissed at her girlfriend. "Why'd you talk to him like that?"

"I couldn't help it!" Eraf whined. "The way he talks, the tone of his voice, it drives me nuts!"

"You don't just snap at people like that! Why'd you do it? I've never seen you talk to someone like that since we were in Hyrule together!"

"I told you, I couldn't help it! It just makes me crazy! I do try to keep calm, I really do, but I just can't!"

"I..." Maria paused, looking into Eraf's eyes. They were begging for Maria to believe her. "I know, sweetheart. I know." She sighed. "Apologise to him when he comes back, and then let's just enjoy our meal. See anything you like?"

"Well, the ch-" Her sentence went unfinished, as all the noise in the restaurant stopped. So, in fact, did the people. Everyone was frozen in place. Eraf and Maria stared around, wondering what had happened.

"What is this?" Maria asked Eraf.

"Some sort of magic." Eraf replied. "That's all I know. I'm sure it's not fairy magic, though."

"Ah, the young couple on a date." A warm voice said from nearby. Maria sighed.

"Lakitu, why are you here?" Maria asked, confused. "You've never come to my world before. What's happened?"

"I'm actually here to check on you two. Anything strange happened to you recently?" Lakitu asked.

"Nothing, no." Maria replied. "We had a small argument, I've been going to Castle Caelin this past week, but nothing major."

"Oh? Very well. Fairy, if you could take a few weeks holiday from your job, that would be great." Lakitu said to Eraf.

"What? Why?" Eraf asked, wondering how Lakitu knew about her job.

"Something's going to happen. And soon, we think. I'll need you two, a Hero and partner, on standby. I'm going to go see to Link soon. Can you get some holiday time?" Lakitu asked Eraf.

"I... might have two or three weeks?" Eraf offered.

"I hope that'll be enough. I could always create a clone for you, but they're not entirely reliable when it comes to taking over jobs and schools and suchlike." Lakitu chuckled. "I shall see you again, I'm sure." With that he disappeared.

"Don't hurry on our account." Maria sighed as motion returned the restaurant.

"Will you be ordering now, madams?" The waiter asked as he walked over.

"Yes." Eraf said politely. "I'll have-"

**Link**

Link grinned to himself as he stretched out on the hay next to Malon. Once again, the two had locked themselves in the back room of the granary, hiding from Malon's father. Malon smiled at Link, rolling over and laying an arm over his chest.

"It still feels so naughty." She giggled.

"I know." Link replied, holding her hand in his. "Yet, we still do it."

"Of course. We do it _because_ it's so naughty." She laughed, blushing. Link smiled, and flushed a little.

"Talon would kill us."

"He wouldn't dare. He's too scared of you, and he needs me on the ranch." She smiled. "Trust me, it's fine." She said softly, placing a hand on his cheek, and kissing him gently.

"If you say so, love." Link replied, reaching for the buttons of her dress. Malon grinned impishly, and reached for Link's belt.

--

"Malon! Link!" Talon called.

"We're here, Dad!" Malon called from inside the Cucco hutch.

"Is Link with you?"

"Right here, Dad." Link replied. Malon giggled. She found it funny that Link called Talon 'Dad', and for several reasons. Talon walked inside the very large hutch, to see Link and Malon pouring feed into the bowls.

"Something wrong, Dad?" Malon asked.

"Someone wants to buy a horse. You two know all about them, so I thought I'd best leave it to you. I'll feed the Cuccos."

"Alright." Malon agreed, grabbing Link's hand. "Let's go, Link."

"Y-yeah..." Link said, trying not to drop the large bag of Cucco feed. Thankfully, Talon took it from him. "Thanks, Dad."

"Wonder which one he'll buy?" Malon asked as she and Link walked toward the stables.

"As long as it's not Epona, I'm not bothered." Link replied.

"As if I'd sell Epona!" Malon gasped, hitting him on the shoulder. "Oh, I hope he buys Shima." Malon sighed. "She'd do better on the open road."

"Maybe we could sell him Lemi? He's a quiet, sturdy horse."

"We'll see what the he's after, first, okay?"

"Of course." Link agreed. "There he is." He pointed. The man was tall, wearing a traveller's cloak.

"What sort of horse are you after, Sir?" Malon asked him as they approached.

"Something quiet, who can travel for a long time without a break." The stranger replied.

"Lemi'd be good for him." Link said to Malon.

"Maybe." Malon said. "Sir, would you like to see the horse?"

"Please." The stranger replied. Malon and Link took the man into the stables.

"The only horse you can't have is that one." Malon told him, pointing to Epona. "She's ours."

"That's fine." He replied. "I like the look of this one." He said, walking over to a horse.

"That's Shima." Malon told him, glancing at Link with a smirk on her face. Link poked his tongue out at her.

"Shima, huh. Looks nice. Can I see that Lemi you mentioned?" He asked. Link nodded, and pointed to Lemi, who he was stood in front of. "Oh, he's nice, too. A hard choice."

"If you don't mind my asking, why do you need a quiet horse?" Link asked.

"I travel by night alot. I'm not sure why, but I prefer the night air."

"Hm. Then, I don't think either of these horses would do. Malon, d'you think-"

"Yeah, I do." Malon sighed.

"Is something wrong?" The man asked.

"Not really. This horse here enjoys night travel. Almost silent, but she doesn't go far." Link said, taking the man to a dark-coloured horse.

"How far?"

"She gallops around the ranch for maybe half-an-hour before she stops." Malon told him. "It's not that she gets tired, she just seems to enjoy being out at night."

"I'll take her. What's her name?"

"Uh... Thelts." Malon said, surprised.

"Thelts?"

"She was left to us by someone a while ago." Malon explained. "She only answers to Thelts."

"Thelts will do fine." The man said, smiling. "How much is she?" He pulled out a bag of rupees.

"We hadn't thought we'd ever sell her, actually." Link said, grinning. "We don't really have a price."

"Oh? Then, just take the bag. Normally I'd haggle a price, but I have to be somewhere by tomorrow."

"Alright, then." Link replied, taking the bag. "Best of luck to you, Sir." He looked inside the bag, and his eyes widened. "Uh... are you sure?" He looked at the man.

"Quite sure." The man said, walking over to Thelts. The horse stared at him intently. "Hello, Eras." He said to it, holding a hand out. The horse licked it.

"Eras?" Link asked.

"This horse was stolen from me a while ago. She was named Eras Thelts after my mother." He smiled. Malon, stunned, was slowly untying the rope that tethered the horse. "No price is too large to have her back." He was stroking the horse's neck as he spoke. "I'm surprised she ended up here, though."

--

That night, Link, Malon, Talon and Ingo sat around the dinner table.

"Did that guy buy a horse?" Talon asked.

"Yeah." Malon said, nudging Link, who was about to talk with his mouth full of food. "We sold him Thelts. Apparently, it used to be his horse, and is actually called Eras Thelts after his mother."

"Oh, really?" Ingo mused. "I thought there was something about that horse. How much did you get for it?"

"Here." Link said, dropping the bag of rupees on the table. It hit with a very loud thud, making Malon and Talon jump in surprise.

"Looks heavy." Talon said, picking up the bag. "My goodness..." He breathed.

"How much is there?" Ingo asked. "Don't leave us hanging, Talon." He reached for the bag, and looked inside. "Good lord!" He almost dropped it.

"Let's see." Malon said, taking the bag. "Wow. He really paid this much?" She looked at Link, who nodded. "There must be... what, ten thousand in here?"

"He must've loved that horse." Ingo said happily. "What say we share this money between the four of us?"

"Not a chance." Talon snorted. "Malon and Link look after the horses, so it's their money. Although, perhaps you should give around a thousand, how much I'd charge for the horse, for the ranch."

"Yeah, okay." Malon said, scooping a thousand rupees out of the bag. "Here you go, Dad." She dropped them into Talon's hands.

"Thank you." Talon smiled.

"Hey, Link, let's go to town tomorrow!" Malon suggested.

"Yeah? Sounds good." Link grinned. "Let's go shopping."

--

The next day, Link and Malon rode to Hyrule Market Town on Epona. Upon arrival, Malon insisted on sitting down for a few minutes, as she felt queasy. Neither Link or Malon understood this, as Malon rode horses daily. A few minutes later, Malon felt fine, so the two left Epona with the gate guard and went shopping. The two went straight to the bazaar, to see what cheap deals they could get.

"Hey, you two." The burly shopkeeper said to them as they walked in. "Lakitu was looking for you. Stay here for a few minutes, please."

"You know Lakitu?" Malon asked, surprised.

"Yeah. He's my boss."

"Boss?"

"Lakitu has agents all over the worlds. I'm one of them." The man said proudly. "The name's Dunham."

"Oh, you found them." A warm voice said from the door.

"Hello, Lakitu." Link and Malon replied, looking at some leather that was on sale.

"Hello, Boss." Dunham said. "Told you they'd come here."

"Indeed you did. Well done for guiding Sahlan to their ranch."

"Sahlan?" Link asked.

"The guy who bought that horse." Lakitu replied. Link and Malon stopped looking at the leather, and looked at Lakitu.

"So why're you here?" Link asked him.

"We, the Scholars, think something big is going to happen. I'll need you two; a Hero and a partner, ready for action."

"Lakitu." Link sighed. "Last time, I saved The Mushroom Kingdom because I wanted to come home. I'm home now, with Malon. I don't feel like risking either of our lives again."

"I understand that, Link. Which is why I'm asking for your help. Remember Eo?"

"Yeah." Link said coldly. "Maria and I defeated him."

"That's right. Well, he's coming back. And he'll probably come after you guys. And your worlds. And everyone you care about. As the embodiment of evil, there isn't much he won't do to get his revenge."

"But..." Link was turning pale, as was Malon. "We defeated him!"

"Defeated, yes. Not killed. He can't be killed. We now realise that we need to seal him away. Only a hero, and their partner or Maiden, can defeat him. At that time, we'll seal him away, hopefully for good."

"I'm not risking Malon again." Link said, in an almost threatening manner. "Get someone else to do it."

"I can see why you'd be so protective of Malon right now." Lakitu said, staring at her, a small smile playing across his lips. "But, would you really trust the fate of _everything_ to someone you don't even know?"

"Get Maria to do it."

"I've already asked her to. In the Mushroom Kingdom. I need someone here."

"I won't-"

"Won't what?" Lakitu snapped. "Won't protect your fiancee? Won't save the place you call home? Won't protect your friends and family?"

"Malon is all that matters! I won't risk myself, or her, for your mistake!"

"My mis-" Lakitu stopped, and scowled. The effect was devastating. Dunham ducked behind his counter, Malon shrieked and hid behind Link, and Link himself turned paler, and his knees shook. "Don't you dare say that to me." Lakitu said. He looked more evil than Eo had. His mere aura almost crushed the helpless people in the bazaar. Everything on the shelves trembled, as did the walls. "Yes, I made a mistake. I hate myself for it. Day and night, I regret what I did. And now, I'm trying to correct my mistake. I put countless billions of life-forms at risk, and now I'm trying to make everything right again. You whine about your little girlfriend, while I almost destroyed life itself! You will do this, Link, even if I have to mind-control you."

"L-Lakitu... I just don't want-"

"I KNOW!" Lakitu yelled, and several swords and shields fell to the floor. "But if you do nothing, then she will definitely die!" He breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself. After a few minutes, everything stopped trembling, and Lakitu looked like his old self. "Fine. We'll do it this way: Fight me. If I win, then you have to protect Hyrule, in whatever way I say to. If you win, I'll let you do what I want."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Nerra**

She had no idea where she was. Or, even, who she was. She couldn't remember anything at all, except appearing in this world holding hands with a black creature. It stood on two legs, had stripes, white gloves, red trainers, and spoke her language. She remembered buildings, foods, objects, animals and how to walk, talk even cook. The only thing she was clueless about was herself. She had been called 'Nerra' by the large black creature, who had been called 'Shadow' by the other creatures in the house. There was also Tails, Amy, Tekno, Sonic, Mighty, Vector, Charmy, Espio, Knuckles, Blaze and Rouge. A few days later, another had come into the house. He was named 'Shortfuse', He resembled a squirrel, but his body was made of metal. He had red and black striped gauntlets over his armor, with lasers on them, red and black striped feet, and a red and black striped v-shaped plate on his forehead. All the stripes ran diagonally. Nerra was frightened by all these fearsome looking creatures, but somehow sensed a kindness about them. She could somehow feel that they all cared greatly for each other, and were all gentle creatures. Yet, at the same time, she could sense a tremendous power among them, particularly among Sonic, Shadow and Mighty. Her only question was; How could she sense this? She sat in her room, pondering these things. Yet, in the room itself, she sensed traces of a great power. Mostly feminine, but some male. The male essence was the strongest. Tekno's essence was in here, as well as all of the other creatures in this house. The powerful male essence felt familiar, and the female essence had an echo of something, but Nerra couldn't quite tell what it was. This added another worry; How could she tell the gender of the power? It was still early, but Nerra wanted to sleep. Shadow and Sonic had told about a strange creature that was attacking their homeworld. Nerra wondered why they told her so much. They had told her everything they could about it; size, colour, sound, speed, speed of attack, agility, the way it flew. Quite how they knew some of these things, Nerra didn't know, but she was more concerned about the _way_ they told her. It was like she was supposed to be doing something about it. But, how could she? She was a regular person, save for night-black wings, and this odd ability to sense power and auras.

--

"She definitely has amnesia. But it's a weird kind. She can remember everything but herself, and other people she ever knew." Tails was saying the others downstairs.

"I was afraid of that." Sonic sighed. "She looked clueless and confused all the time Shadow and I were talking to her."

"I didn't make any mistakes with the Chaos Control." Shadow snapped.

"I didn't say you did, buddy." Sonic assured him. "It's still weird how she doesn't remember anything. Did you tell why you were bringing her here?"

"Of course. She agreed to come, remember? I've already told you all this."

"Alright, alright, calm down. I'm just worried."

"We could," Tails said quietly, sounding like he didn't want to say something, "Try bringing her memory back."

"How?" Sonic asked.

"Tekno and I... we made a machine, but... it's still in the testing phase. We have no idea if it'll work or not."

"Could you try and get it up and running?"

"We could. It might take some time, but..."

"Do it. Please. Nerra needs her memories, if she's to fight."

"I'll do my best." Tails promised, walking toward his lab. Tekno was in there, also looking at the machine.

"Man..." Sonic sighed. "Lakitu didn't say anything about this."

"Maybe he didn't know." Shadow told his blue friend.

"Maybe. I don't know. He just seems so smart, I thought he'd have known something like this could have happened."

"Like what, may I ask?" A warm voice asked from the dining table. Shadow and Sonic turned to face the owner of the voice.

"Lakitu!" Sonic gasped. "How'd you get in here?"

"I have methods." Lakitu replied. "Now, something seems to be bothering you two. May I ask what it is?"

"Of course." Sonic said, he and Shadow sitting down.

--

Knuckles and Mighty stared up at the sky. It was clear, cloudless.

"D'you really think it's coming?" Mighty asked the echidna.

"Of course." Knuckles snapped at the armadillo. "Tekno and Tails are never wrong."

"I don't think that machine's too reliable, though." Mighty protested. "How can a machine predict where something will be, and when?"

"We must have faith." Espio said from nearby. "This is one of the few zones it hasn't attacked yet. Besides, the other zones are being watched by everyone else. Even if we don't see it, one of our friends should."

"Will we be enough to hold it back, though?" Mighty asked, looking back at Espio.

"We have to be." Espio replied. "Sonic and Shadow are back home with Tails and Tekno, trying to figure out the problem with Nerra."

"It would have been better if they were here," Knuckles told Mighty, "But they're not. We have to hold that beast back." A sudden scream interrupted them.

"That thing!" Someone cried. "It's attacking the Green Hill Zone!!"

"Who've we got there?" Mighty asked Espio and Knuckles. They said nothing. "Guys?"

"N-no-one..." Espio choked. "It's a natural place, no buildings, we thought it'd leave it alone..."

"So far," Knuckles said, "It's only attacked buildings and surrounding areas..."

"Dammit!" Mighty punched the ground, making it shake a little. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!!" He dashed toward the Green Hill Zone.

--

"That's worrying." Lakitu sighed. "I was afraid this might have happened."

"Anything we can do to help her?" Shadow asked.

"If that machine doesn't do the job, then no."

"But, how can she help if she can't remember anything?" Sonic asked.

"She'll have to make new memories. I'll have to teach her what she can do." Lakitu assured them. "I'll look into her problem, see if there is something else that can be done." He sighed, then floated toward the door. "Oh, you should get to the Green Hill Zone. The Quetzalcoatl showed up there." With that, he disappeared.

"Green Hill Zone? Never thought it'd show up there." Sonic groaned.

"We should hurry." Shadow told him, walking to the door.

--

The creature stirred, and looked around. Rolling green hills filled the landscape, along with rock formations that made a loop. A blue blur sped past his line of vision, running along a path, and around the loop. Where was this place? Another blur, this one black with some red, followed the path of the blue blur. How strange. The creature stood itself upright, and glanced around. Looking skywards, it saw another strange creature, this one much larger. It was like a snake, but it had big legs, feathered wings with claws on it, and two long feathers that seemed to protrude from its head.

"Perfect." The creature grinned. "That looks suitably powerful enough for me." It lifted itself into the air, and floated in the winged snakes' flight path. It stopped in surprise, then roared at him. "Oh, be quiet." The creature sighed, then sent an energy blast at it. The winged snake fell to the floor, and the creature felt its soul depart it body. "Excellent." It descended upon the creature's practically unharmed body. "As Eo, the Evil One, it is only right that I have a ferocious and terrifying body to match my power." He turned into a black mist, and entered through the winged snake's mouth and nostrils. The winged snake opened its eyes, and raised its head. "Ah..." The winged snake sighed. "This feels nice. So, this is Quezacotl, is it? Sister to Quetzalcoatl. Maybe my other half will be able to locate Quetzalcoatl. How perfect would that be?" Eo grunted, then took to the air. Scanning the ground, he saw destruction that he knew the Quezacotl had wreaked. "Interesting. However did the creature get to this place? Not that it matters. With the combined power of myself and the Quezacotl, nothing will stand in my way." He grinned wickedly, then flew away.

--

"It stopped mid-attack." Shadow noted. "It just fell to the ground, then left."

"Think someone beat us to it?" Sonic asked.

"Seems likely."

"Sonic! Shadow!" Mighty's voice sounded. He, Knuckles and Espio were dashing toward them. "Where is it?"

"It just took off." Sonic told him. "We didn't even have to touch it. It fell down, then flew away."

"Really?" Knuckles asked. "Weird."

"Let's just go home, okay?" Sonic suggested. Everyone agreed.

-

Everyone sat around the dining table, eating the meal Nerra had cooked. It tasted nice, but they all ignored the taste as they were too busy thinking or worrying (except Charmy, who was already asking for seconds). Nerra could tell they were thinking, and wondered what had them so worried.

_How can we get her to remember?_ Sonic's voice sounded in her head.

_Why did that creature not finish destroying the Green Hill Zone? _Knuckle's voice sounded.

_If I could just figure out why the Calsiton switch doesn't connect to the Auguran, and activate the Sira-Drive, I might be able to fix it. _Tails.

_I still think the Calsiton should be replaced by a simple Empinsentral hammer._ Tekno.

_Wonder if sprouts are any good in sauce?_ Shadow, oddly. Nerra shook her head, then stood up.

"Something wrong?" Sonic asked her. Everyone else looked at her.

"I don't feel well." Nerra told him, then walked upstairs. She walked into her room, and laid down on the bed. Did she really just hear everyone's thoughts? How could that have happened? It shouldn't be possible.

_Wonder how surprised she'll be when I show up?_ That voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Hello there." The same voice said aloud. Nerra jumped, and looked around.

"An orange turtle?" She muttered. The turtle frowned.

"That's getting really annoying." He grumbled. "I'm a tortoise. My name's Lakitu." Suddenly, Nerra recognised the faint trace of power from the room as this turtle's.

"Have I seen you before?" She asked it.

"Yes, you have. I won't go into details, it'd be boring and take too long. I just wanted to give you a quick magic scan."

"Magic scan? What for?"

"To see if there's any way to recover your memory."

"Really? Then go ahead."

_She seems so different this time._ Lakitu's voice sounded. _Does she get different personalities every time she goes to a new world?_

"New world?" Nerra asked, confused.

"Please stay out of my mind. It's not a place for other people." Lakitu said politely, though he sounded angry.

"Sorry, but I can't help it. I only just learned how to do it, and I don't know how to... _not_ do it."

"You'll learn. Now hold still."

**??**

The girl opened her eyes, and found a man looking down at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. His image was blurred. As her eyes focused, she saw that he had long purple hair, serene amber eyes, and a red cloak. Why she took so much notice of the red cloak, she didn't know, but it seemed somehow important to her. She reached up and grabbed it.

"Red..." She croaked. Why was her throat sore, and her voice cracked?

"I'll get you some water." The red-cloaked man said, freeing his cloak from her grasp. He turned and left. The girl dropped her arm to the bed, and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't remember a thing about who she was, or where, or... anything! All she could remember was 'red cloak' and 'moustached man in green'. How were those important to her? The door creaked as the red-cloaked man came back into the room. "Here." He said. He was holding a glass of water. "Let me help you sit up." He put the glass on a small table next to her bed. He then put his arm underneath her back, and gently lifted her to a seated position. He picked up the glass and handed it to her. She took it, and took a cautious sip. It tasted good, and soothed her throat.

"Thank you." She whispered. She drank some more, then handed it back to the red-cloaked man, who put it on the table. He gently laid her down.

"I'll come back tomorrow, to see how you're doing. I'll bring more water, and maybe some soup."

" 'kay." She replied weakly, falling asleep. The red-cloaked man stopped at the door for a moment, then shook his head and walked out.

-

"Ah, Erk." A man greeted the red-cloaked man. "How is she?"

"She seems fine, Lord Pent." Erk said, sighing as he sat down. He had walked into Lord Pent's study room. "But, I can't shake the feeling that I know her, somehow."

"We'll figure that out later, Erk." Pent assured him. "For now, we have other things to worry about. Like the revival of Eo, and the strange occurences of this world."

"That girl could be the cause. We did find her a day or so after everything went wrong."

"I very much doubt her to be the cause, Erk, though I shan't dismiss it completely. Maybe I'll ask Lakitu when I see him next."

"When is he coming?" Erk asked, a tone of excitement surfacing beneath his normally serious voice. Pent chuckled.

"I'm not sure, Erk. I'll let you know when he's here, okay?"

"Okay! Great!" Erk grinned widely.

"Erky!" A female voice called.

"That'll be Nino." Pent smiled. "Off you go, Erk."

"Yes, Milord." Erk said, standing and leaving. Outside, Nino was at the other end of the corridor, looking for him.

"Erky!" She called again. "Jeez, where is he?" She grumbled.

"I'm here." Erk called to her. She turned, saw him, then squealed.

"ERKY!!" She dashed to him, throwing herself at him when she was within range. "Mah Erky!" She cried happily. She wrapped her arms and legs around his body, squeezing him tightly.

"Good to see you, Nino." Erk smiled, hugging the small, green-haired girl. "How was the job?"

"Boring." Nino groaned, putting her feet back on the ground. "But at least I learned a few things." She smiled. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Uh... not alot."

"Heheh. Thought so. Not alot _can_ happen here, in just a week."

"Yeah, just lessons, both teaching and learning, talking to Pent and Lakitu, trying to figure out why the magic's weird, looking after the girl that suddenly appeared..."

"Woah, woah." Nino stopped him, releasing him from her hug. "What girl?" She glared at Erk. Erk smiled, thinking how much both he and Nino had changed recently, from the people they once were; Nino a timid and shy girl, Erk a serious, silent boy. They had both started enjoying themselves more, becoming somewhat childish in some ways, but more adult in others.

"Just a girl who appeared a little after you left." Erk assured her.

"Alright. Who is she?"

"We don't know." Erk sighed. "She only just woke up today. First thing she did was grab my cloak and say 'red'."

"Really? Weird."

"I know. And I can't help but think that I should know who she is."

"Really? Weird."

"She seems so familiar to me, but I just can't place her anywhere..."

"An old flame, maybe?" Nino asked, grinning cheekily. Erk returned the grin.

"I think I'd remember one of the only three girls I was ever close to. Two, if I don't count you."

"Aww... only two other girls?" Nino giggled. "Third time's the charm!" She hugged him again. "I feel so special."

"You _are_ special, Nino." Erk told her, tilting her head upwards, staring her in the eyes. "After all, no other girl has gotten one of these from me..." With that, he leaned toward her, and pressed his lips lightly against hers.

--

The next day, Erk and Nino went to see the Mystery Girl. Nino had decided to call the girl 'Myst', shortened from 'Mystery Girl'. Erk and Pent agreed. They opened the door to find her already awake, sat up in her bed. She was staring out the window.

"Good morning." Erk said gently. The girl looked to him.

"I... don't know this place." She said. "I don't know... her."

"Her?" Erk asked. "Oh, this is Nino. My name's Erk."

"Hello." Nino replied.

"Hello..." The girl looked out the window again. "Do you know my name?" She asked.

"Uh..." Erk scratched his head. "No, we don't. What is it?"

"I don't know." The girl replied. "I don't know anything. You are Erk and Nino, and Erk gave me water. You wear a red cloak, which seems important to me, as does a man in green with a large moustache. You promised to come and see me today, with more water and maybe some soup. That is all I know." She looked back at them, wearing a sad expression.

"Well..." Nino began. "We could give you a name, until you remember. Is that okay?"

"And," Erk added. "We'll teach about this place where you are. Maybe it'll help you remember."

"That would be nice." The girl smiled. "What will my name be?" She looked at Nino.

"We already agreed on this earlier, we're all gonna call you this whether you like it or not, okay?" Nino told the girl. She nodded. "Your name's gonna be Myst."

"Myst?"

"Short for Mystery Girl, because that's all we know about you."

"Myst it is, then." Myst agreed, smiling widely. "Thank you, Miss Nino."

"Just Nino is fine." Nino told her quickly, blushing a little. "Just Nino."

"Just Nino?" Myst asked. "Alright, Nino. Thank you." She smiled.

"Do you feel good enough to get out of bed?" Erk asked Myst. Myst shook her head.

"It took me a long time just to sit up by myself. Sorry."

"It's okay." Erk assured her. "I'll go get you some water." He turned.

"And the soup?" Myst asked.

"We'll see." Erk smiled, then left, leaving Nino and Myst alone. The two stared uncomfortably at each other, wondering what to say.

"Red cloak." Nino said suddenly. "The first you said when you woke up was 'red', and you grabbed Erky's cloak. Why?"

"I... don't know." Myst replied. "It seems important to me, but I don't know why." She sighed, and looked out the window again. "It's a very nice view."

"It is." Nino sighed, not wanting to push the girl about the red cloak issue. She walked over to the window. "Me and Erk like to walk around there, enjoying being outside."

"Could I go there sometime? I would like to see what there is in this place, instead of being cooped up in here." Myst looked at Nino. Nino chuckled to herself.

"That reminds me of a story Erk once told me about himself." She glanced at Myst. "Wanna hear it?"

"Yes, please."

"Well, he had given me a picture book, that his teacher had given him. He told me that he used to study non-stop, for days without stopping to eat or rest. One day, he collapsed, and..."

-

Erk sighed. He had only asked for some soup for Myst, but the cook had made soup for himself and Nino, too. And there was alot of it. It was quite a chore to carry it all to Myst's room without spilling any. Erk soon gave up on the 'not spilling any' idea, and decided to try and get to the room without spilling too much. Miraculously, he managed it, and stopped outside the door. He pondered for a moment how he was to open the door with his hands full. His thought was cut short when he heard Nino's voice.

"So, we still go for walks, and commune with the spirits of nature, just like his teacher told him to. When you can walk, we'll take you too, okay? Sound good?"

"It sounds lovely." Myst said. "Thank you." Erk smiled to himself, then kicked the door gently, to get their attention.

"Come in." Nino called.

"My hands are full." Erk replied. The door opened a moment later, and Nino stood there.

"How much soup does she need?" She asked, grinning.

"Blame the cook. He made some for us, too." Erk replied. "Think you can stomach some soup?" Erk asked Myst.

"I'll try." Myst told him. Erk handed a bowl of the soup to her. She took it, almost dropping the bowl, then took the offered spoon. She dipped it in the soup, stirring the soup a few times, then began to eat slowly, little by little.

"How is it?" Erk asked, supping on his own soup. Nino remain quiet, eating her soup.

"It's alright." Myst said. "I feel alot better now. Alot stronger."

"Good. Eat as much as you can, okay? I'll bring you more tomorrow."

"When can I go outside?" Myst asked.

"When I think you're strong enough." Erk replied. "Nino, I think you should try and take Myst to a bathroom some time soon. She'll need to go after eating and drinking after such a long time."

"I guess you're right." Nino said, catching some of the soup that dribbled down her chin with her spoon. "You should go talk to Lord Pent some more."

"I guess." Erk sighed. "Tell him about Myst eating, and stuff, and see what else we can do about our magic."

"Magic?" Myst asked.

"Hm? Oh, don't you worry." Erk told her. "I'll tell you about it some other time. For now, just rest and get your strength back, okay?"

"Alright." Myst agreed. "I'm finished." She said quietly, holding the bowl to Erk. There was still half of it left. All the same, she had eaten more than Erk had expected her to.

"Okay, well done." He took the bowl, and walked toward the door. "I'll see you two later, okay?" He left before either could reply.

--

"We still haven't figured out what's making the magic act so strange." A Mage was saying. There was a large group of them, gathered in the Great Hall. Lakitu was there, too.

"I think we might be getting closer, though." A Monk told him. "Maybe this is all just a challenge, set to us by the Gods?"

"Fool." Another Mage snapped. "This is something to do with the Worlds."

"I disagree." A Shaman cut in. "I believe that magic itself has changed, and grown. We simply have to grasp how it has changed, and then tune ourselves back into it."

"Ridiculous!" An old Monk cried. "Magic hasn't changed in decades! Centuries! It has no reason to do so now!"

"It has all the reason to do so now." The first Mage said thoughtfully. "Nothing remains the same. This could well be the case."

"Outrageous!"

"Enough!" Lakitu's voice sliced the arguments, making them all fall silent. "Erk, stop loitering out there, and come inside." Erk, who had been standing beside the door, gasped. "Come on, Erk. I need everyone here." Erk nervously opened the door, and walked inside. "Good. I was about to send someone for you."

"What's this meeting about?" Erk asked, keeping his voice level.

"Oh, just this and that." Lakitu shrugged. "Everyone's more interested in why their magic's off-key, rather than the revival of Eo, or a girl being swallowed by a spike from a world."

"Girl swallowed by a spike, you say?" Erk looked at Lakitu. "Well, obviously she'd be dead, or in pieces." He frowned. "There's no way some could survive a spike. We know what they can do to worlds. I can't imagine what they'd do to a regular human."

"But that's just it." Lakitu grinned. "We _don't_ know. It's never happened. Or at least, not in memory. Anything could happen. Even as far as nothing at all. She could be perfectly fine, but stuck somewhere. I get a feeling that she probably lost some memory, though. Worlds tend to forget themselves if they're hit by a spike, so I can safely assume that would happen to a living creature, too."

"Babble babble." Erk grinned. "I hope you find this girl."

"Me, too." Lakitu sighed. "She was going to become one of my agents. On top of that, she was the princess of another world."

"Really, now?"

"Yeah. I need to find her, and quick."

"Well, best of luck." Erk patted him on the shoulder. "If anyone can do it, it's you."

"Thanks, Erk. Could you do me a favour?" Erk nodded. "Go into the Void, and look around."

"What am I looking for?"

"Anything. Spikes, world movement, things there that shouldn't be. That includes people. Worlds in different places, and so on."

"Alright."

"Watch out for the Lines. They've been violent lately, dragging people backwards and forwards with them."

"You know I can't see the lines. They don't affect me, either. Only certain, special people can be affected, remember?"

"Yes, yes, you're right. I just worry. Okay, off you go." Lakitu smiled. "Good luck."

"Same to you." Erk replied, closing his eyes. He focused for a moment, then disappeared.

-

Myst felt a sudden twinge in the back of her neck. She rubbed the spot that felt tingly, then closed her eyes again, trying to sleep. But, images kept blurring past her vision every time she started falling asleep. She couldn't make out what the images were, and she could hardly ignore them. Groaning, Myst rolled over, trying her best to sleep.

--

Sorry it took so long to update. This story is turning out to be more difficult than the first one. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever finish it...

Oh well. I'll try.

It's just the beginning that's hard. Once I get the story going, and get everyone set on their paths, it'll get easier, and I should start updating more often. The problem is, setting everyone on their paths. And believe me, there's quite a few this time, each doing their own and having their own little influences on the story. With any luck, this story will be longer than the first one.

Thank you for putting up with my slowness, and reviewing my LoZaP 1 so positively. Again, any questions or suggestions, feel free to ask or tell. I'll try to help you out, since I'm not afraid to put anything in a review now ;; I didn't want to look sad, like I was reviewing my own story... I still want pictures. If you can put them on a photobucket, imageshack or even tinypic, then link me to it, that'd be awesome. I really, _really_ want to know if I describe things properly. I notice I haven't described my characters very well, but most people should know what they look like anyway :p

Thanks again.

Also, I might put Picture Perfect up here soon, because something from this story coincides slightly with that one... but I won't tell

--


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Link**

"You have lost." Lakitu said quietly, looking down upon Link. Indeed, Link was bloodied and bruised, whereas Lakitu wasn't even scratched. Malon dashed to her fiance's side, tears falling from her eyes. Link was too weak to even raise a hand, let alone stand. He wanted to stand, hold her, and tell her he was fine. Lakitu and Link had gone outside of the Market Town for their fight. Link had done well at the start of the fight, clearly better than Lakitu had expected. Lakitu soon decided to stop playing, and put some effort into it. Link was quickly defeated. "So, as per our wager, you now do as I say. Understood?"

"B-but..." Link gasped. "I..."

"Link, just agree." Malon whispered. "Please. I don't want to see you getting hurt any more."

"Malon..."

"Agree, Link. Please."

"Lakitu." Link called weakly to the tortoise. "I agree to your... terms." With that, he passed out.

"_Link!!_" Malon shrieked.

"He's only unconscious." Lakitu told her. "Fear not, my Maiden. I may have hit him harder than I meant to. I'll restore his body with a spell, then you'll have to take him home. When he wakes up, remind him that he agreed to do as I said, and tell him to sharpen his sword skills. Have him take the time to say farewell to everyone, including you. I will fetch him in a few days."

"What do you mean, including me? Why can't I go, too?"

"I can't allow that, Maiden. This time, you must remain behind."

"No! You can't do that to me! I'd die if I had to stay here! Knowing Link could be in trouble, and I can't help him? It'd be too awful! Please, Lakitu!"

"My Maiden, please. Just do as I say. You'll be acting as his Maiden, so he won't be in too much trouble. I'm sure he'll be able to handle everything that comes at him."

"But, still... I'd feel so bad if I couldn't be there for him..."

"Maiden, do we have to do this the same way as I did with Link? I don't want to hurt you, Maiden, so please agree."

"Alright." Malon sighed. "I trust your judgement, Lakitu."

"Thank you, Maiden. I have to hurry along now, as I'm already very late. Can you get Link home yourself?"

"I'll manage." Malon said, almost angrily. "Good day, Lakitu."

"Good day, Maiden." Lakitu replied, looking surprised at Malon's reaction. He flew away, still wondering why Malon had reacted in such a manner. Malon walked to the gate guard, retrieved Epona, and returned to Link. With great effort, she managed to put Link on the horse, then mounted herself, sitting behind him. She nudged Epona to a slow trot, and made her way toward Lon Lon Ranch. She sulked the entire journey, angry that she wasn't allowed to go with Link. To have to stay behind, not knowing if Link was in trouble or not! To be seperated from the man she loved, for who knows how long? She wouldn't stand for it. She resolved at that moment to find a way to go with Link. No matter what Lakitu, or anybody else, said! She yanked Epona to a halt, a little harder than she intended, just outside Lon Lon Ranch. She called for her father and Ingo, and waited. They showed up a few minutes later, and, upon seeing Link, panicked and demanded to know what was going on. Malon told them as close to the truth as she dared: Link had got in a fight, and made a small bet, and lost. They then demanded to know what bet he had made. Malon said that if Link lost, which he did, then Link had to travel with that person and help them with... something. Talon wasn't impressed with this, but settled down slightly when Malon told him that Link had been pushed past his limit, and made the challenge. Ingo carried Link to Malon's room, while Talon led Epona back to the stables. Malon went with Ingo, and tended to Link.

**Lakitu**

Lakitu sighed, angry with himself for losing his patience like he did. Majora was sure to know, and he was sure to scold Lakitu for it. Feeling a sense of forboding, Lakitu opened the door to his and Majora's room. Inside, he saw Majora reading a book, with huge piles of other books scattered around the room.

"Um... I'm home?" Lakitu said nervously. He heard Majora sigh. Majora slowly closed the book he was reading, and gently laid it on the table. Lakitu closed the door, preparing himself for what was sure to be a painful verbal punishment.

"You lost your temper." Majora said, looking at Lakitu.

"Y-yes..." Lakitu hung his head.

"A rare sight, that. And one I thought I'd never see again." Majora grinned. "It was kinda funny, though."

"It-it was?" Lakitu looked up, confused.

"Poor, poor Link. He really shouldn't have mentioned your mistake." Majora chuckled. "I don't blame you for losing temper about that."

"R-really?" Lakitu felt his mood lift. "I was so sure that you'd..."

"Don't worry about it. Your anger was justified. Like Malon's."

"Malon? I don't get why she was angry."

"Lakitu, sometimes you're a real cold person. She _loves_ Link. She wants to be with him at all times." He sighed. "Surely you can relate? After all, you unleashed the most dangerous being in existence just so you could be with me again, right?"

"St-stop talking about that..." Lakitu frowned, looking away from Majora.

"My point is, you shouldn't judge Malon too harshly. Let her go with Link. At least for a while."

"I can't do that." Lakitu told Majora. "I said it to her, and I'll say it to everyone who asks me. I'm not letting Malon go with Link."

"Why not?"

"Can't you tell?"

"Tell what? Malon was a great help to Link during the first Eo fiasco. I'm sure she'll be a great help this time, too."

"She won't. She'll drag him down more and more as time goes on."

"I don't understand, Lakitu. Malon isn't as useless as you-"

"She's pregnant." That silenced Majora instantly. "She can't go with Link."

"... pregnant?" Majora asked, not sure he had heard it right. "Malon's pregnant?"

"Yes. And as her baby develops more, she'll slow down Link more. She has to stay behind."

"I see." Majora sighed. "I didn't notice that. You're right, she can't go." He looked at Lakitu for a long moment. His eyes then travelled to something behind Lakitu; the door. Lakitu wondered what had caught Majora's attention, and turned to see what it was. A young humanoid girl was peeking from behind the door. She was so young, she looked like a child, barely fourteen years old. She had light blue hair with dark blue streaks, large green eyes, and a small nose. Her ears were long and pointed, like an elf's, but stood almost vertical, compared to the elf's horizontal ears. Her body itself was small, but quite evenly proportioned. She wore a purple sleeveless top, a plain black skirt, and black and purple knee-high stocks. Her arms were thin and smooth, and her legs were equally as smooth. She had rather pale skin, which especially showed now, as she was blushing quite brightly from being stared at. "Can we help you?"

"Y-you telepathed me, Master?" The girl said, addressing Lakitu.

"Master?" Majora asked. "Something you're not telling me, Lakitu? Or is she just another agent?"

"Something I'm not telling you, Majora." Lakitu grinned. "This is- come on inside, dear." He said to the girl. She nervously entered the room, closing the door behind her. She put her hands behind her back, and was clearly playing with her fingers out of nerves. She also swayed side-to-side a little. "This girl is my student, and apprentice."

"Apprentice?"

"I'm teaching her everything I know."

"What for?"

"Well, I thought I should, really. I mean, assuming all goes well I've got a good thousand years of life left in me, but you never know what's around the corner, do you?" His voice, though Majora failed to notice, was shaking a little. "I thought it better to pass on the knowledge to someone else, just in case."

"I see." Majora agreed. "So, what's her name?"

"Ah, yes. How forgetful of me." Lakitu grinned. "Majora, this is Adia. Adia, Majora."

"Pleased to meet you, Adia." Majora said mildly.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Adia asked Lakitu quietly. Lakitu smiled, somewhat sadly.

"That's right, dear." He said. "My boyfriend." Majora chuckled as Adia blushed more.

"She's a cute one, Lakitu. Are you sure she can handle the things you know?"

"My dear Majora, have you already forgotten my first year here?" Lakitu stared at him, half-mocking, half-inquisitive. Majora grinned.

"No, I haven't. I see your point. She'll adapt. You wouldn't have chosen someone who couldn't handle it, right?"

"Right." Lakitu replied, a bit too quickly.

"Um... Master?" Adia's quiet voice caught their attention. "Why did you telepath me?"

"Ah, yes. Well, one reason was to introduce you to my boyfriend."

"Hi." Adia said to Majora, who chortled to himself, then buried his face in a book.

"Second, I'm going to need you to keep an eye on someone for me shortly."

"Okay."

"I'm going to take them to the Rock. You know where that is, right?" Adia nodded. "Just wait there for me. I'll bring him in a few hours. Off you go now. Be at the Rock within the next four hours."

"Yes, Master." Adia said, then left the room.

"Master, huh?" Majora asked Lakitu.

"Her idea, not mine." Lakitu told him. "When I chose her as my apprentice, her family was thrilled, and told her what a 'huge honour' it is." He grinned. "Adia, being the nice girl that she is, believed them totally, and refuses to call me anything but Master."

"That's so cute." Majora smiled widely. "Maybe I should get an apprentice, too."

"Maybe you should. Anyway, I'm going to take a look around. Make sure everything's on track."

"You should calm down, you know." Majora told him. "Your plans are becoming elaborate as standard. In fact, the plan you had to bring me back was the biggest you've ever done, and that's saying something."

"I know, I know. I just like big, elaborate plans. Lots of stuff to keep organised, to stay on top of. Keeps me on edge, and I love it."

"Stress junkie, much?" Majora snorted. Lakitu laughed.

"That's one of way of putting it. I'll see you later, love." Lakitu said, floating over to Majora and planting a quick kiss on his lips.

"Take care."

**Link**

Link lashed his sword at the wooden figure with extreme violence. He had been just as angry as Malon about having to be seperate from her. Link had indeed bade his farewells already, and was now in a corner of the running grounds, pounding his sword against a life-size wooden doll. Several times, his sword got stuck, which angered him further, and he had to use all of his strength to remove it. Malon, his fiancee, sat on the grass nearby, watching sadly. Epona, too, stood a short distance away, eyes fixed on her rider. Neither dared disturb Link in his current condition. Thinking about it, Malon decided that his current state was comparable to how Lakitu had been in the bazaar. She kept herself at this distance, waiting until Link calmed down, hoping he would do so soon. Epona, however, managed to hold her fear down, and shakily approached Link. Link had left his sword lodged in the thigh of the wooden doll, and was now pulverizing it with his fists and feet. Epona nudged Link's elbow nervously, body tensed to flee. Link stopped in his annihalation of the doll to look at the horse, who was already edging away. Cautiously, Epona nudged Link's shoulder. Link placed a hand on Epona's snout, and began to stroke his beloved steed. A smile began to spread across his face. Malon, seeing this, gained the courage to approach. She placed a shaking hand on his right shoulder. Link moved his left arm across his chest, and gripped her hand in his. Looking over his shoulder, Link smiled sadly at Malon. Epona gave Link a nudge, a lick to the face, then trotted toward the stables. Grinning, Link wiped the horse-spit from his face, while Malon giggled at the sight of half of Link's hair standing almost straight up. The two spent several minutes remedying the damage Epona had done to Link's image. When they had finished, the two stared into each others eyes for a while. Both wanting desperately to speak, but having nothing to say, and not wanting to prevent the other from speaking.

"Um..." Malon said, blushing. "I... I can't think of-" She was cut short by a kiss from Link. She closed her eyes in pleasure, tears sliding down her face, as she did everything she could to make this the most memorable kiss ever. After all, it could be their last. She wanted to remember the soft but firm lips, tasting slightly of beef, the strong hands that stroked her face, and held her by the waist against the solid, yet comfortable and warm body of her beloved Link. She stroked Link's face, enjoying the feeling as her hands rubbed against his short, almost sharp, beard. She slid her hands down his chest, to feel the well-shaped, toned chest muscles. As she rubbed her hands all over Link's body, Link did the same to hers. She trembled in ecstasy as Link's hands glided all over her body, touching her face, her neck, her arms, her chest, her waist... to have Link so close to her at all was enough to make Malon weak at the knees. A moment to soon, Link pulled away, gripping Malon's shoulders. She stared up at him, tears still falling. Link sighed, smiling miserably, and wiped away some of the tears. Then, he pulled her close to him, and embraced her as tightly as he dared, as though doing so would allow them to stay together. Malon gripped Link's body as tightly as she could, not wanting to release him. A small cough interrupted them, and their eyes darted to the source of the voice. Lakitu floated nearby, holding Link's sword..

"I'm... I'm sorry to interrupt." He said. He truly did sound sorry. "But, uh... it-it's time to go, Link."

"Alright." Link replied quietly. "Can I have just one more minute?"

"Sure. I'll wait by the main gate." He floated away.

"Malon... I will come back. You know I will."

"I know..." Malon whispered. "Just, be careful. And, if I can find a way to come to you, you can be sure that I'll be there in an instant!" She said forcefully. Link chuckled.

"I hope you find a way, too. I don't want to put you in danger, but I can't bear to be without you." He kissed her gently. "Hope I see you soon."

"Me, too." Malon replied, fresh tears streaming from her eyes. Link, too, was crying. He hugged her briefly, then walked toward the gate. Once he was out of sight, Malon sank to her knees. "Just... just like that." She sobbed quietly. "Gone... in a moment." Epona approached, and gently nudged. "Oh, go away, Epona. Just leave me be." Epona refused, and nudged her again. "Epona, please!" Malon swatted Epona's nose, who darted away a few feet, before approaching and nudging her again. "What are you trying to say to me?" Malon asked the horse.

-

"I'm ready." Link mumbled, wiping away his tears.

"I'm truly sorry, Link." Lakitu said to the young elf. "But, one day, you'll be glad I made Malon stay behind."

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"No, sorry. If I did, it would distract you from the task at hand, and I need you at your best." Lakitu sighed. "I do understand how you feel, Link. I swear I do. That's why I'm going to try and resolve this whole issue as quickly as I can, so you can be reunited."

"Please stop." Link whispered. "Can we just go?"

"S-sorry." Lakitu patted Link on the shoulder. "I'm sorry." His index finger started to glow, and he drew a pattern with it in the air. A rune. A pillar of light appeared a few paces forward. "Go on, Link." He gave Link a gentle push forwards. Link walked into the light, and Lakitu followed behind him.

-

"So, where are we?" Link asked Lakitu. They were stood on what appeared to be stone, though it was a darker colour than stone he was used to. Around him was more stone, some making walls, some large spikes.

"This is a place in my current world of residence. It's called the Rock." Lakitu told him.

"How original." Link muttered. The sky was a rusty-red colour, and lent its shade to the rocks.

"Link, meet Adia." Lakitu's voice caught his attention. A young girl with light blue hair, with dark blue streaks, and green eyes stood by Lakitu. "She's going to keep an eye on you while I go and get Maria." The girl, Adia, waved. Link, unsure of how to react or speak to the girl, mirrored her. "If you have any questions, you can ask Adia, and she'll try to answer them for you. Go easy on her, though. She's new to this."

"Right." Link sighed.

"Okay, then. I'll be back in a jiffy." He disappeared. Link and Adia stared at each for a few moments.

"You had to leave your wife behind, didn't you?" Adia said suddenly, surprising Link.

"W-well... she's only my fiancee. We're going to be married, some day. I hope."

"Oh? But, Master keeps referring to you as husband and wife."

"Master?"

"You call him Lakitu.'

"I see. And who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Adia Limena. I'm Master Lakitu's apprentice, student, disciple."

"Appren... uh, which one is it?" Link asked, confused. Adia shrugged.

"They all fit. Right now, I'm more his apprentice, doing his bidding." She smiled, flashing small, pointed teeth.

"R-right."

**Maria**

Maria sat in the living room of her apartment, as Eraf walked past in a towel, headed for the shower. Maria suddenly remembered the problems she had had, trying to claim this apartment even though Mario lived here. Fortunately, Lakitu had agreed to use some magic to alter the human memories and records, listing Maria and Eraf as the tenants.

"I'll be about half an hour, okay, sweetie?" Eraf called to Maria.

"I'll still be here." Maria told her. "I might even join you."

"I'd like that."

"So would I." Lakitu's voice made Eraf shriek and hide behind the nearest door. Lakitu chuckled. "Oh, please, fairy. I have a boyfriend. What makes you think I'd want to see your body? Get some clothes on. You two need to get going."

"Going?" Maria asked. "Alright." With a small grunt, she pulled herself from her sofa.

"Hey, Lakitu!" Eraf gasped. "D'you think I'd be alright to go to Hyrule for a while?"

"Hyrule?"

"Yeah. I want to see my homeland again. Would I be okay if I tried to go there?"

"Of course. As long as Maria remains your Maiden, or Knight, you'll be fine. You will go back to fairy form, though."

"I will? Well, that's okay. Right! I'm going now!" She dashed into the bedroom, and came out a few moments later, fully clothed. She ran straight to the warp pipe, and leapt inside.

"Well, that's her gone." Lakitu said, clearly shocked. "I'm sure she'll figure out she can use her magic to get back to you."

"Yeah, me too." Maria sighed. "So, where am I going?"

"First, I need to take you with me to a place in the world where I'm living right now. Link's there, too, along with my student and apprentice."

"Link's there? Cool. Will I get to talk to him?"

"A little. What I need to do is tell you both what's going on, where you'll be going, and what you'll need to do."

"Alright. Let's go."

"Awesome." Lakitu grinned. "If only Link had been this cooperative."

"Did he refuse?"

"Yup. I had to beat him up to make him agree."

"Oh, Lakitu. Wasn't that a bit much?"

"Not really. He's the only one who can do this job. And, the only one I'd trust."

"You do realise that you could do just as good as job as either of us could, right?"

"No, I couldn't. I'm not about to go fighting Eo any time soon." Lakitu said, drawing a rune. "Enough of this. Step on the portal, and let's get going." Maria chuckled, and stepped onto the portal.

**Lakitu**

"So, the two heroes are finally here." Lakitu said happily.

"Two heroes." Adia repeated.

"And I'll be sending you to a different world each."

"Elibe and Mobius." Adia said.

"Yes, thank you."

"Welcome."

"Why there?" Maria asked.

"If you two recall, you once defeated Eo, yes?" Lakitu asked them. Link and Maria nodded, while Adia clapped lightly. The three stared at her.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"Well, he's back, and I need you two to defeat him again."

"Again?" Maria moaned. "Even if we do, what's to say he won't come back again?"

"Because Majora is looking for a way to seal him."

"But, we need to duff Eo up a bit first, right?"

"Right."

"Right!" Adia joined in.

"Right." Link said, with a chuckle. Adia smiled at him. Lakitu coughed.

"Focus, people."

"Focus." Adia repeated. Lakitu sighed roughly. "Sorry, Master. I'm just trying to be like you."

"That's not what you're here for. You're supposed to learn what I know, not what I'm like." Adia simply nodded. "Anyway. We figure Eo's in two halves again. This seems to be the norm for when he revives. He then accumulates powers from two seperate worlds, then attempts to join the worlds so he can have both powers at his disposal."

"Like when he merged Hyrule and Mushroom Kingdom?" Link asked.

"Precisely. This time, we think he's going to merge Mobius and Elibe. These two worlds are vastly different, so merging them could be disastrous. Besides that, we need to stop Eo anyway. He still plans to rule all creation. Problem is, we know he's in these worlds, but we don't know where exactly. So, you two'll have to find him yourselves. Chances are he'll come after you."

"Alright. Then what?"

"Well, Adia and myself will be keeping an eye on you.When you find Eo, let us know however you can. We'll then come, and you can guide us to him. We'll use a teleport spell to send him to his castle. Obviously, we'll have to do this to both Eos at the same time."

"Obviously." Maria said.

"Anyway. While he's in his castle, he won't have the strength of those worlds. The same will go for you, but you'll have your Maidens to help you; he won't. It goes without saying that he'll become one again, giving him his full strength." He grinned. "Your Maidens should give you the edge. Don't worry."

"Great." Link sighed. "And when we've pounded Eo, and sealed him away, can we go home?"

"Yeah."

"Without being bothered by you again?"

"I can assure you that I won't bother you ever again after you defeat Eo."

"Well, you haven't lied to me yet." Link smiled a little. "I can believe you."

"Okay, great." Lakitu looked at the two. "Well, I have to go check on something, so I'll be-"

"Where're you going??" Adia gasped suddenly. Her voice startled the trio, as Adia had been silent for most of the conversation.

"Just to get a report from an agent." Lakitu told her. "I'm not about to abandon you all here."

"Alright." Adia sighed.

"Poor dear." Lakitu said to Link and Maria. "She's been abandoned herself. Her real parents ditched her." He looked at her for a moment. "See you all later!" He said in usual jovial manner. He then disappeared. Link and Maria stared at each other for a few moments.

"Saving the worlds again, eh?" Adia piped up. Maria and Link were glad to have someone else start the conversation.

"Yeah." Link said, looking miserable. "I'd rather be with my wife, though."

"Oh, you're married now?" Maria asked. "I haven't got that far with Eraf yet."

"N-no, we're... aw, dammit. Lakitu kept calling me and Malon a married couple, and Adia's doing it, too. Now I'm saying it!" He growled. Adia and Maria laughed.

"Didn't you two fight side-by-side against Eo?" Adia asked.

"That's right." Maria said. "And we made quite a team."

"We did. It was quite fun, actually."

"Looks like we're working together again." Maria said to Link.

"I look forward to it." Link replied, grinning. "How come you're still a girl? Didn't you want to change back?"

"That's... I... well, listen..." Maria blushed. "Why'd you have to bring it up so suddenly?"

"Sorry. It was bugging me."

"Fine, fine. I drank some magic water, right?" Link nodded. "Well, that doesn't work in Mushroom Kingdom, or on Earth. And I got sent home before I had chance to drink the water, so I'm stuck like this. If I ever get to Hyrule again, I'm definitely going to drink the water again. I miss being a man."

"You were a man?" Adia asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Maria told her. "I changed to a woman so I could get through a place easier, and my woman form's been kinda handy from time to time. But now, I wanna be a man again."

"Were you a pretty man?"

"I... had a very fine moustache."

"I'll say." Link grinned.

"Yours is coming along nicely, too." Maria told him. "And a beard, to boot. You're lucky to have both, you know. No wonder you pounded Bowser so bad."

"You heard?"

"Peach told me."

"Okay, it's time to go." Lakitu's voice said as Lakitu appeared in front of them.

"Already?" Link groaned.

"Lakitu, can I make a quick stop by Hyrule?" Maria asked the tortoise.

"No, sorry. I don't have time to take you there. Too much to do." Lakitu said, wondering why Maria had asked.

"You're always busy, aren't you?" Link pointed out.

"Indeed. Maria, if you're worried about changing back to Mario, then don't worry. There's a reversal spell you can learn on Elibe. The a re-cast spell, in case you need to be a woman again. You'll be fine."

"Alright." Maria agreed.

"So, I take it I'm going to this 'Mobius' place?" Link asked. Lakitu nodded. "Great. What's it like?"

"Lots of two-legged, human-sized animals. About as tall as you. They're mostly friendly, so don't worry. Oh, and there's an elf-ish girl there, so you won't get lonely. Well, she's more human, but still." He sighed. "Ahhh, enough babbling. Let's get going." He drew a rune. "Adia, you're sending Maria to Elibe, okay?"

" 'kay." Adia mimcked Lakitu, drawing a rune. Link and Maria stepped onto the appropriate runes, and teleported.

--

The creature opened its eyes, taking in its surroundings. It was on a mountain, but it knew nothing else. A winged horse flew overhead, a person sat upon its back. Groaning, the creature got to its feet, and looked around. Where was it? Looking down the mountainside, it saw several other winged horses flying about the skies, all mounted with riders carrying spears. Though some held swords, and their steeds had a horn upon their forehead as well as wings on their backs. The creature felt some magic nearby. Dark magic. Lifting itself with it own brand of power, the creature flew in the direction of the magic. As it flew over expansive fields, it saw many humans and their steeds of horses, flying horses, and even dragonic creatures, fighting fiercely. The creature figured some sort of war was happening. This made it feel happy. He found the source of the magic he had sensed. The person, dressed in all black, a hood covering his face and eyes, was clearly very powerful. After all, Eo, the Evil One, had sensed his magic from so far, yet had not sensed the magic of other uders though they were closer to him. Eo grinned to himself, and approached the magic user. The user, a Shaman, sensed Eo's approach.

"Who goes there?" The voice seemed female. "What are you, monster?"

"I am the one who will take your body for my own." Eo grinned, then slammed the hapless Shaman with a beam. The Shaman's soul left his/her body, and Eo quickly took the body as his own. "Ah... you are female." Eo sighed. "No matter. She is powerful, so she suits my purpose. I wonder if my other half will find someone as powerful as this?" Eo sighed again, this time in relief. "It feels nice to have a body. I think I'll establish this body among these lesser mortals." With that, she turned toward the battleground, and, summoning the Shaman's vast knowledge of Dark magic, began to cast a spell upon the humans and animals who were trying to kill each other.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Eraf**

Eraf giggled happily as she flapped her fairy wings. She felt so free now, being able to fly again. She flitted back and forth throughout the forest she had once called home. After she had had her fill of being a fairy again, she flew straight to the Great Fairy's cave.

"Great Fairy!" She called happily as she entered. "Great Fairy, it is I, Eraf! I've come to see you!" There was a flash, and the Great Fairy floated above the water that sat in the centre of her cave.

"Eraf." She smiled. "I'm pleased to see you again. I was so worried about you."

"Really? How come?"

"You disappeared after this world merged with another. I feared the worst."

"Aww!" Eraf giggled again. "I'm okay, see? I went with Mario to his world!"

"You did?" The Great Fairy seemed surprised. "Why, you seemed to hate him so much when you brought him to me. What happened to make you change your feelings for him?"

"Um, well..." Eraf blushed, and turned away, grinning foolishly. "This and that..."

"So, he saved your life?"

"Wha! Y-you!" Eraf faced her again. "How did you-?" The Great Fairy smiled.

"It seemed obvious. Mario saved your life. That made you see him in a different light, and look at the positive side of him. You love him, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Eraf said happily. "I love her so much!"

"Her?" The Great Fairy asked, confused. "Her?"

"Hm? Ah, yes. Mario drank some water from a gender-changing spring, and became a girl. He called himself Maria. He never got a chance to drink again before he had to go back home, so he got stuck that way." Eraf giggled again. "I like her as girl, too. It doesn't matter to me if he's a boy or a girl, I still love him!"

"You can be so cute sometimes. So, if you are living with him, what made you come here?"

"I just wanted to visit. See you, my fairy friends, and Link."

"Link, of course." The Great Fairy chuckled lightly. "I thought as much."

"Hey! Heeyy! Not like that!"

"I know, I know. Link doesn't live in the forest any more."

"No? Where is he?"

"He lives at the nearby ranch, with his fiancee Malon."

"Fiancee? Ooh, Link and Malon are getting married? Wow! I have to go see them, and congratulate them!"

"Off you go, then." The Great Fairy smiled. "Best of luck to you."

"Yeah! See you later, Grea-" She paused. "Great Fairy?"

"Yes?"

"I've been under your care for close to five hundred years, but I never once learned your name. Would you honour me by telling me what is it?"

"Oh, Eraf, how cute you are." The Great Fairy smiled, wider than ever before. "This may come as a shock to you, and all who are familiar with the legend of Link, the Hero of Time."

"What d'you mean?"

"My name is Navi."

"N-Navi?! Th-the fairy who helped Link save Hyrule?"

"The very same."

"B-but! You... Navi was even smaller than me! How could-?"

"After helping Link save Hyrule, I was appointed Great Fairy of the Forest for my deeds. I was so excited, that I flew straight here without explaining it to Link. The poor boy then went in search of me, crossing over to Termina in the process. As Great Fairy, I'm tied to this fountain unless I break into smaller parts of myself, but each part will have its own will, and may not want to return. I was never able to tell Link what had happened. He travelled until his dying day in search of me." She sighed. "Sorry, Eraf. I shouldn't sadden you with my burden. Go and see your Link and Malon."

"Okay..." Eraf sniffed. "I'm sorry that you and Link couldn't be reunited."

"It's quite alright, Eraf. Go and see Link, now."

"Yes, Great Fairy." Eraf flew toward the cave entrance.

"Eraf?"

"Yes?"

"Best of luck to you."

"Thank you... Navi." Eraf grinned, then a giggle broke from her mouth. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to."

"No worries. You're allowed to be happy."

--

Malon sighed miserably as she poked at her meal with her fork. Talon and Ingo looked worriedly at her.

"Malon, sweetie..." Talon began.

"Don't!" Malon snapped. "Link always calls me sweetie! Don't remind me of him!"

"S-sorry. But, listen, love-"

"Link calls me love, too!" Malon howled. "Don't talk to me, Dad! Everything you call me, Link calls me, and I don't want you reminding me of him every time you talk!"

"Sorry, Malon." Talon said miserably. "I just wanted to make my daughter feel better." Malon stared at him for a while.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dad." She moaned. "It's just... Link's gone, and I can't..."

"I know, dear." Talon said. "I know."

"Malon, I think you're being a little selfish." Ingo said.

"What??" Malon gasped. "Do you have any idea how I-"

"No, but Talon does. Better than you."

"Ingo, don't." Talon warned him.

"We should tell her, Talon. It'll put things into perspective for her."

"I... I suppose, but still..."

"You can leave, if you want. I know you won't want reminding."

"No, I'll stay."

"Reminding of what?" Malon asked.

"Malon, you know your mother?" Ingo asked.

"No. She died when I was a baby."

"Right." Ingo nodded, sighing. "Are you aware that your mother was your father's wife?"

"Duh, that's obvious."

"Put yourself in your fathers' shoes."

"What do you- Oh!" She gasped.

"Exactly. At least _you_ will see your love again. Talon won't. Ever."

"I... I'm so sorry. You're right, I'm being selfish. But..."

"But you can't stand the waiting. I know, Malon. Just don't take it out on your father any more, especially since he's got it worse than you. 20 years worse."

"I'm sorry, Dad." Malon said to Talon, who was clearly trying not to cry.

"It's alright, love." Talon told her. "I understand how you feel. You remind me of your mother every time you do... well, anything."

"I do?"

"Yes, you do. I live with it, though." He sighed. "Malon, you should go to your room for a while. Rest, sleep, mull things over. I'm sure you'll feel better tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm sure I will." Malon agreed, standing. "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem, dear." Talon smiled as Malon walked to her room. "Thank you, Ingo." Talon said to Ingo after Malon had gone. "I don't know how long I could've handled seeing Malon like that."

"Don't worry about it. I didn't like it either." Ingo sighed.

"Still, thank you." Talon continued with his meal.

-

Malon flopped down on her bed, sighing. She knew that Dad and Ingo were right. She was lucky, because Link was going to come back. Her mother wasn't. That must be so awful for Dad. But, still. Having to wait for Link, not knowing when, or if, he'll ever come back. That was the worst part. She hadn't explained to Talon and Ingo that Link had gone to another world to save it from the most dangerous and evil being in existence. Knowing that he might not survive to come home, Malon just wanted to be with him for as long as possible. A small tapping made her look around. She couldn't see anything that was making the noise, so she assumed it was her Dad, washing the dinner plates, or one of the animals, or something. She ignored it, her mind drifting back to Link. The tapping came again, sounding more firm this time. Malon frowned, looking around again, but couldn't see the source. The tapping sounded again, louder, more firm, and longer. Malon eventually saw a small... something outsider her window. Approaching, she saw that it was a fairy. She looked at it, then opened the window.

"Thank you!" The fairy squeaked as it flew inside. "I thought you'd never let me in! Hey, where's Link?"

"Can I... help you?" Malon asked.

"Huh? You don't recognise me? It's me, Eraf! Remember? Maria's girlfriend? I uh... merged with Peach?"

"Eraf, really? I thought you turned human and-"

"I did, but I've come back to Hyrule to see you guys! That's why I'm a fairy now, see?"

"Not really, but okay."

"Soo... where is he?"

"Who?"

"Link, dummy!" Eraf giggled. "I wanna see 'im! Where is he?"

"He's uh... g-gone."

"Gone? Is he coming back?" Malon didn't reply. Instead, she nodded. "When?"

"I don't know." Malon whispered. "He might not come back at all."

"What? Oh, come on! Don't be silly, of course he'll come back! He won't leave his fiancee behind, right?"

"Lakitu took him." Malon sobbed, sitting down. "Link has to go to some other world, and save it."

"Whaat? And Lakitu didn't send you? No way." Eraf flitted over to her, hovering at eye-level.

"He said I can't go. Said he won't let me. Threatened to fight me unless I accepted it."

"Well, that's horrible!" Eraf huffed. She crossed her legs, and floated in the air. She vaguely remembered that Mario had once called it her 'thinking pose', but Eraf didn't think much of it. "Heyy... I know."

"Know what?"

"I can send you to Link."

"You can?? Really?! Tell me how!" Malon grabbed Eraf in her hands. "Tell me! How can I go to Link??"

"Ow! OW!! Lemme go! Lemme! OW, MALON!!"

"Oh, no!" Malon released. "I'm so sorry!"

"Owww... it's okaayy..." Eraf smiled. "I can use my fairy magic to send you to Link. You were fine when you were in Mushroom Kingdom with him, so you should be fine this time. I've got plenty of fairy magic now, since I've technically been saving it for almost three months."

"Oh, would you do that for me? Please, Eraf?"

"Of course! It's not right to be seperated from the one you love. In fact, I'm gonna rush back to Maria as soon as I'm done. I miss her already." She blushed.

"Let me leave a note for Dad, though." Malon said, leaping to her desk and looking for paper.

"Sure. It'll take me a moment to get ready."

"Okay." Malon said, picking up a quill. She dipped it in ink, and started writing. 'Dear Dad. I've gone to be with Link. I understand everything you told me, but I can't bear to be without him. I love him too much to be away from him when I still have a choice in the matter. Please keep thinking about me until I get back.'

"All done." Eraf announced.

"That was quick." Malon said. "I'm almost done." She continued to write. 'I'll come back as soon as I can, and hopefully with Link. Love you lots, Dad. Malon'. She put the quill. "Okay, done. I'll stick this to my door." She opened her bedroom door, and pinned the note to the outside of it. "So... how do I get to Link?"

"Just step on this circle." Eraf pointed to a circle on the floor. "And just think about Link really hard. It'll take you straight to him."

"Really? That's it?"

"Yup. But, since you're his Maiden, don't think too hard. I think Lakitu once said something about a Maiden thinking too hard about their Prince can pull them forcibly to the world the Maiden is in, which could destroy the Prince. Or, it could pull the worlds into each other, and destroy them."

"Wow. Okay, I'll be careful." Malon stepped onto the circle. "Thank you so much, Eraf. If I can ever repay you..."

"Just be happy with Link, and make him happy. And let me see your babies!!" She squealed at the thought of babies. Malon giggled.

"I'll even use your name for one." She promised. Eraf gasped and shrieked in delight, then flitted excitedly around the room. "See you later, Eraf."

"Bye, Malon!" Eraf screamed. "Thank you!"

"No, thank _you_." Malon told her. Then, she closed her eyes. _I want to see Link. Take me to Link. _The circle started to glow. _I'm coming to you, Link. We'll be together again soon._ The circle flashed brightly, then Malon was gone. Eraf sighed happily, stopping her random erratic flittering.

"Guess I should go to Maria now." She said, flying over to the circle. "Here I come, my love." She grinned, and giggled again. "Ooh, I'm so giddy today!" She calmed herself, then focused her thoughts on Maria. Wait, what if she was Mario? No, no, she'd still be Maria. She wouldn't have had chance to change to Mario again. _Maria, Maria, my dearest Maria. Magic portal, take me to my beloved._ The circle glowed. _Put me at my loves' side._ The circle flashed, Eraf changed back to her human form, and then disappeared.

**Adia**

"Well, that went well." Lakitu sighed. "I'm surprised they listened to me so quickly."

"Everyone listens to you, Master." Adia said.

"Well, I suppose they do. But, I expected some argument beforehand." Lakitu grinned. "Think they're too scared of me?"

"Probably. That, and they respect you. Nearly everyone trusts your judgement." Lakitu winced at that.

"Yeah, but I don't like it when some people put it that way."

"People like who?"

"Never mind, Adia. Let's get home, and get on with your lessons."

"Okay, cool. What am I learning today?"

"A little more knowledge, I think, then some combat training."

"Aww... no magic? I like learning magic."

"Maybe tomorrow, Adia. Let's just go." He teleported away.

"Mmm..." Adia grumbled. "I don't like fighting." She sighed, then teleported, following Lakitu's path.

-

"So, let's begin the spell." Lakitu said to Adia in Lakitu's room in the Scholar's University..

"Why does it have to be a spell?" Adia asked. "Why can't you just teach me normally?"

"Because it'd take too long, and there's no guarantee that you'd remember it all, hear it all, or even pay attention."

"I would, honest."

"You'd try, Adia, but there'd still be no guarantee. Why do you ask?"

"Because it feels weird when you do the spell. I don't like it."

"Well, I don't have much of a choice in the matter, Adia. It'd take far too long to teach you everything I know, and I need to teach you how to fight and use magic, too."

"Could you teach me how to use magic while you're doing that knowledge spell?"

"No, because magic requires a different kind of knowledge. Don't worry, it won't take long for me to teach you all the magic I know. You'll probably end up studying even when I'm not teaching you." He smiled. "Ready?"

"Ready." Adia sighed, bracing herself. This spell felt so weird, and Adia could barely stand it. It felt like an invasion of her most personal space, of her very mind. She was afraid, every time, that Lakitu was actually reading her mind, and seeing her every thought; both now and in the past. She didn't like it. She squeezed her eyes shut, clamping her sharp teeth together, and felt the spell bore into her head. She could feel, and even see, the knowledge sweeping around her brain, wrapping itself around various parts of her mind, and sinking into it. This knowledge would never leave her mind now, but neither would the feeling of invasion. Adia was sure she could see Lakitu floating nearby, looking at some memory from many years ago. The idea, and feeling, of this made Adia shake in fear. What could Lakitu be looking at? After a short while, Adia felt the spell ending, and she sighed in relief. However, her shaking didn't stop.

"Are you okay?" Lakitu asked her. Adia tried to reply, but she only managed a squeak. Instead she nodded. "Don't give me that, Adia. Tell me what's wrong, or do I have to read your mind?"

"NO!" Adia screeched. "Stay out of my mind!"

"I haven't been in your mind, Adia. Not yet, anyway. Now, tell me what's wrong."

"I... I hate that spell." Adia told him. "It feels like you're invading my mind, and looking at all my thoughts and memories."

"Really?" Lakitu asked. Adia nodded. "Weird. That never happened to me, when my teacher cast it. It was only once, though. You've had it... how many times?"

"Nine."

"Nine. Wow. Well, only about five more times, then we can stop. You'll have to be strong, and put up with it."

"I just hope you're not sending me more than just knowledge."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you're sending me feelings, opinions, even some of your own memories."

"Wow." Lakitu looked impressed. "It's possible. I am just plucking stuff out of my mind, y'know. It could happen. I'll be more careful from now on." He promised her. "Go ahead and get some rest. We'll hold off on combat training until you feel better." Adia nodded, and left Lakitu's room. She slowly walked along the corridors, subconciously following the route to her room. She automatically weaved in and out of the people who walked past, and ignored the various comments, both good and bad, of other Scholars and students. Lakitu's knowledge spell had given her a few things to think about. First of all, the fact that Lakitu might only _think_ he knows something, but it's really just a belief, or opinion, or misunderstanding. Second, how did Lakitu know so much about Maidens and Knights? Adia shook her head, and walked into her room, removing her outer garments. Many of her belongings from her homeworld were here, though some had been left behind, for her siblings to enjoy. She picked up a necklace from her desk, staring at it, smiling. It was called a Heartstone, and was said to improve a person's mind. She picked up a collar, called simply 'Crystal Collar'. It was, as the name implied, a collar made of a crystal-like material. Another item she had was an 'Iron Collar'. As implied, it was a metal collar. Adia had actually bought these items out of a vague momentary interest. They had been worn once, then left in a box for months. She also had various rings, but her favourite was a 'Full Spectrum', which was a ring made of glass, and made in such a way that the spectrum could be seen within it. Adia smiled when she spotted her 'Spiked Collar'. It was, essentially, a ribbon with sharp studs on. Many mistook it for an animal collar, yet Adia still wore it on various occasions. She picked it up, and fastened it around her neck. She then put on a tunic called 'Elven Leather', which was a flexible, stretchy yet strong material. Putting a belt with knife sheathes on, Adia sighed. She hated fighting, but still Lakitu insisted on her training. She picked up her 'Lightning Kris', a pair of wavy, thin and light daggers, and put them in their sheathes. Finally, she tied a blue ribbon around each of her wrists. This was somewhat of a custom for her, as she always wore these ribbons for important dates or events. Any lessons with Master Lakitu were important events. Picking up her favourite Full Spectrum ring, Adia slipped it over her index finger, then walked out of her room.

-

"Feeling better already?" Lakitu was surprised.

"It was just a weird feeling, Master." Adia told him. "I'm ready for my training."

"You look it." Lakitu said, staring her up and down. A black spiked collar, dark blue tunic, tough black boots, a pair of daggers. She would look like a hardened warrior, if not for the rainbow-coloured ring, and puppy-dog eyes. Though, Lakitu mused, they might look more puppy-like with the collar. "So, shall we get to the training fields?"

"Sure." Adia sighed. She wished she didn't have to do any combat training, but Lakitu, her Instructor and Master, insisted she did so. She followed him to the training fields, massaging her shoulders and flexing her fingers. She fingered the Full Spectrum ring she was wearing, preparing herself. No doubt she would be fighting Lakitu today. Adia just had a feeling that she would. "Will I be sparring against you, Master?"

"You will indeed, my dear." Lakitu told her. Adia sighed, but this was just to cover her fear. Despite his size, Lakitu was a fierce and powerful fighter. "Don't you worry, Adia." Lakitu said, recognising the sigh. "You're a very good fighter. I'm trying alot harder than I let on."

"Really?"

"No." Lakitu grinned. "I'm trying alot _alot_ harder." He stopped by a large field. "And I mean that."

"Am I really that good, Master?"

"I don't lie about a person's talents, Adia. If I say someone has potential or talent, they do. I've always been taught to not allow talent to be wasted. Despite your obvious hatred of fighting, you're very good at it."

"Should I be proud, Master? Of being good at killing people?" She asked, with unintentional anger. Lakitu stared at her.

"Adia, fighting is more than just killing. If you don't understand that yet, then either you're a lousy student, or I've failed as your teacher."

"Then I must be a lousy student. There is no way you could ever fail. At anything."

"Then think about what fighting does for a person. Only when you understand, will we continue." He floated over to the fighting ring, and waited. Adia sighed, and thought about fighting.

Fighting... the main point of fighting is to vanquish your opponent. But, what else was there? To defend yourself and loved ones, sure. But what else? Was there anything else? Adia thought hard. If a person is strong, then... what? All the strongest fighters she had known, including her adoptive father, were quietly confident people, always calm and forgiving. Did gaining strength of body induce strength of mind? Fighting for friends, loved ones, even beliefs. They must surely strengthen a mind and spirit. Being able to defend yourself, your friends and your beliefs was surely a good thing. Adia liked the sound of that.

"Oh..." She gasped, realising. "Master!" She called. He beckoned her over. She dashed to him, hoping that she was correct in her thinking. "Fighting..." She gasped as she reached him. "It's to... make you a better person. Stronger in mind, body and spirit. To let you defend all you hold dear. Right?" Lakitu smiled.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I'm right?"

"You are, my student. Never, ever, think that fighting is purely a killing art. It is, in fact, quite a selfish art. To improve one's self, to make one stronger." He smiled. "If you can fight well, you are a great person, both to yourself and others. It's complex, and others may not see it as we do, but that is why I fight. Why I train. And also, why you must train."

"I understand, Master. Please, teach me." She bowed her head.

"Then prepare yourself, Adia." His cloud descended to ground level, and Lakitu stepped off it, removing a shortsword from it. The cloud moved away. "Show me how you fight for yourself, and your beliefs." Without another breath, Lakitu leapt at her, sword glimmering in the lamps surrounding the ring. Adia quickly drew her Lightning Kris, and blocked with both. Her blades now felt more a part of her than before, as she remembered her foster father's words: 'No matter what weapon it is, it must an extension of yourself. You must fight with the weapon as a part of you, invaluable, indispensable. If you and your weapon are one, then you will be that much better in a fight.'

"My blades..." She murmured.

"Are they a part of you now?" Lakitu asked.

"Yes!" Adia gasped, swinging her daggers to her right, sending Lakitu to the side. She quickly brought her left dagger down at Lakitu, who deflected it with a small flick of his sword. As he readied for a strike, Adia threw her right arm around, swinging her dagger with full force. She could almost see lightning crackling on the blade's edge. Lakitu realised, a moment too soon, and evaded. Adia's foot came thundering at him, skimming his shoulder as he barely moved to the side. Lakitu brought his fist up, and slammed it into Adia's ankle, making her spin on the spot. She quickly restored her pose, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her ankle. Lakitu was in front of her face, leaping again, sword no-where in sight. His right foot was rocketing upwards for a kick. Adia did the only thing that made sense; step back. This was a lethal mistake. Lakitu's kick missed by a short distance, but that distance was long for his sword to strike. Continuing his upwards path, Lakitu grabbed his sword, which he had thrown upwards previously, and brought it down upon Adia. Reacting from pure instinct, Adia brought her hands upwards to defend herself. Her blades, as an extension of her hands, were placed in perfect position to block the oncoming blade. The shortsword impacted, the clanging of metal ringing loudly. Spinning her blades around, she made Lakitu lose his grip, and the sword span to the side. Lakitu, now descending, stabbed his fist into Adia's stomach, making her wince pain. Landing, he made a sideways leap for his weapon, snaring it neatly by the handle.

"Better, Adia." Lakitu breathed. Was he tiring already? "Your movements are fluid. You handle your daggers excellently."

"Thank you, Master." Adia said, grinning. A compliment! Adia didn't receive many of those, almost none during combat training.

"Let's move things up, shall we?"

"Yes!" Adia was pleased. Master was finally treating her as as worthy opponent. "I'm ready!" Lakitu smiled at her enthusiasm, then dashed with superb speed, especially for a tortoise, at her. Adia brought her blades up, the right in front, the left by her left breast.

-

Adia lay on the ground, exhausted. Her face, arms, legs and body were a sea of cuts, gashes and bruises. Lakitu was nursing several cuts to his face and torso.

"M-master?" Adia called, breathless. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine." Lakitu said, his voice even as always. "Sorry, Adia. I got carried away. Guess your sudden skill made me go further than you were ready for. Still, you held your own for a long time. Look how many times you cut me. You're an excellent fighter."

"Thank you, Master."

"Catch your breath, then heal yourself. You can do that, can't you?"

"Yes, I can." Adia grunted, sitting up. She cast a healing spell, healing her bruises first. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. When I asked if I should be proud of killing people. I doubted your judgement. I shouldn't have."

"You are allowed your doubts, Adia. Doubts are what allow people to make the right decision, and follow their hearts."

"If you say so, Master." Adia winced as her cuts knitted themselves back together. It stung.

"You changed your pose when I stepped up the fight."

"Should I not have?"

"No, it's fine. I was just surprised. Most people find their form early in their training, and stick to it. That's what weakens them. If you can use multiple forms and stances, then you are a much better fighter than most."

"So, it's a good thing?"

"Very good. I wanna tell you something." Lakitu said suddenly. "Something my teacher once told me. My teachers was wise beyond her years. And believe me, she had alot of those." He chuckled. "She said, and I quote, 'In death, there is only dying. No honour, no glory. Just dying. Never think of death as glorious and honourable. The only honour and glory is in life. How you live. So when you fight, fight to live on, and not to die for honour and glory. Live, my student, and make your life honourable and glorious.' She was a great woman."

"A woman taught you?"

"You're surprised?"

"Well, yeah..." Adia looked at the floor. "I always thought of fight teachers as men. I never thought a woman would be allowed to teach."

"Some day, Adia, you'll teach people, too. And you'll be as good a teacher as mine was." He smiled. "Your potential is unbelievable." _Greater than I thought it was. To think, I picked a random person, and she turned out this good._ He chuckled. _Was this fate, perhaps? _Adia was blushing, surprised at what Lakitu had said.

"Master, it's late. Can I go to my room and sleep?"

"You don't need to ask permission to sleep, Adia. Or eat, or talk. Just let me know, then do it."

"Yes, Master. I'm going to bed, then." She got to her feet, wincing because her body now felt stiff.

"Goodnight, Adia. Pleasant dreams."

"Goodnight, Master." Adia smiled, then walked towards the main building.

"In death..." Lakitu sighed. "There is only dying."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Nerra and Link**

"Someone's coming?" Nerra repeated.

"That's right." Shadow told her. Shadow seemed to have taken a liking to Nerra. The two were in Nerra's room. "Lakitu tells us there is another great force of evil, beside the Creature, and he's sending someone to deal with it."

"Okay. What's this person like?"

"He's an elf, Lakitu says, by the name of Link."

"Elf?"

"Yes. They look like humans, but have pointed ears. I thought I should tell you first, because you might be good friends with this Link."

"Oh, I see. That's very nice of you, Shadow. When does he arrive?"

"Within the next few days, Lakitu says. We're not sure when exactly. Lakitu said he's just sent him, but forgot to tell him about us, so we're going to have to pick him up when we see him." Shadow chuckled. "It's not like Lakitu to forget things."

"Oh, like Luigi?" Nerra said.

"Who's Luigi?"

"Huh? I... I don't know. The name came into my head all of a sudden. I really shouldn't blurt out the first thing on my mind, should I?"

"Well, it can lead to trouble. But it's fine here." Shadow smiled at her. "I'll let you know as soon as someone finds Link, okay?"

" 'kay." Nerra smiled a little. She was looking forward to meeting this 'elf' person named Link. What would he be like? Would he be a nice person, or would he be a quiet, withdrawn person? Nerra was sure he wasn't a mean person. Lakitu was nice, and it didn't seem likely that Lakitu would associate with someone mean. So, what did Link look like? Was he tall, pretty? Nerra shook her head. There was no point in speculating what he looked like; it would just make her expect something, and she might get disappointed. Shadow patted her on the shoulder, and left.

--

The following day, Tails called Nerra into the basement, to his lab. He and Tekno were there, Tekno examining a machine.

"Can I help you?" Nerra asked Tails.

"Actually, we're going to try and help you." Tails said, indicating the machine Tekno was looking over.

"How?"

"This machine, hopefully, will bring back your memories. We're not entirely sure if it'll work, though. We've been working on it endlessly, and it's as good as we can get it. If you want, we can try-"

"Yes!" Nerra gasped. "Yes, please, let me try! I want to remember!" Tails seemed a little taken aback by her enthusiasm.

"Uh... s-sure, but... if the machine fails... there's no telling what could happen."

"I don't care! We have to try! Please, Tails!" She grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "I want to remember! Please!"

"Alright." Tails agreed. He led her to the machine, and sat her on the small metal seat. "Hold on to these." He gave her to small metal rods which were attached to wires. He then placed to small pads, also attached to wires, to her temples, then placed a small circle of metal on top of her head. "Whatever happens... don't move."

"I won't." Nerra promised, anticipation building. She might finally remember things!

"Here we go..." Tails said nervously. "Tekno, charge the switches."

"Okay." Tekno sounded just as nervous. She flicked some switches on the machine. "Twenty... sixty... charged."

"Activating rods." The metal rods in Nerra's hands vibrated, humming slightly. "Pads on." The pads did the same as the rods. Nerra started to feel nervous. "Everything's linked up." Tails announced. "This is it." He threw a large switch. "Hope this works..." He pushed a button. Nerra gasped as... something... shot through her head.

--

Luigi. Who's Luigi? A man wearing blue dungarees and a green shirt and hat appeared, then disappeared. Link. Who's Link? An elf wearing a green tunic and hat, and brown boots appeared, then disappeared. Daisy? A brown-haired woman in a yellow dress. Lakitu? An orange tortoise. Mario? A shorter, fatter version of Luigi, with red instead of green. Maria? A tall, black-haired woman with black clothes. Bowser? A huge dinosaur-turtle with horns, spikes and claws. Ganondorf? Oh, Ganondorf... tall, angry red hair and beard. Large muscles, a stern face that held the loyalty of thousands of monsters and creatures. Zelda? A tall, blonde princess. Peach? Another blonde princess. Erk? A tall, purple-haired Mage. Nino? A short, green-haired Mage-girl. Lord Pent? A tall, lavender-haired High Mage. Emily? A short, green-haired demoness with a cat's tail. Vincent? A tall, white-haired cat-boy with two tails. Ash? A Pokemon trainer from Kanto. Kirby? A small, young, pink ball-shaped creature with short arms and legs. Samus? A woman wearing a power-suit. Falco. A two-legged blue falcon. Banjo? A two-legged bear, never seen without his breegul, Kazooie. Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Tekno, Mighty, Knuckles, Amy, Charmy, Espio, Vector, Blaze, Rouge, Shortfuse... her new friends. Knack? A purple, two-legged weasel. Who were all these people? How did she know them all? When had she met them?

-

"Poor child." Who was that? "Abandoned, alone... weak." Weak? Was she weak? "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." A hand appeared before her. Nerra grasped it with her own.

-

"You fiend!" Someone howled at her. "How could you?!" What? How could she what? What had she done?

-

"You are hereby banished." Banished? From where? Why?

-

'We are here for you.' This voice didn't come from a person. But then, from what?

-

"Come with me." Lakitu? "I'll set you free. But only if you agree to work for the person I take you to." Nerra agreed. "Good." She took his offered hand, and left behind her prison, and her memory people.

Wait, what are memory people? Nerra didn't understand.

-

"You are treading on forbidden ground." Nerra couldn't see anything. Where was she? "Your memories, Night Winged Nerra. You cannot look at the memories of other lives, of other yous. Leave at once." Other Nerras? Nerra didn't understand. "Make your own memories here, Night Winged Nerra. Take strength from those new memories. Wake up, Night Winged Nerra. Wake up." No. She didn't want to. She wanted to know who she was. "You must make that for yourself."

-

A slew of images flashed across her mind. People, friends, loved ones. Her old self? Burning villages, wars, deaths, murders, slaughters, births, families torn apart, families reunited. Different worlds. Different Nerras. What was the meaning of this?

-

Nerra opened her eyes, and looked around. She was back in Tail's lab. She couldn't remember a thing of what she had seen.

"Well?" Tails asked apprehensively. "Did it work?"

"No..." Nerra sighed sadly. Tails and Tekno sighed in the same way. "I can't remember anything new."

"Sorry." Tekno said, removing the pads from her temples. "We tried."

"It's okay. Thank you for trying."

"Give me the rods back." Tails said glumly. He took the rods while Tekno removed the metal plate from Nerra's head. "You can go now, Nerra." Tails sighed. Nerra stood up, her legs feeling weak.

"Thank you, Tails. It means alot that you tried." She patted him on the shoulder, hugged Tekno, then left.

--

A couple of days later, Amy came home, shouting excitedly.

"I found him! Sonic, Sonic, look! I found him!" Everyone rushed to the front door to see who she had found. As they thought, it was Link. He was tall, as tall as most of them, and wore a green tunic with a green a hat, brown gloves, and big brown boots. He looked around at them, nervous. "See? Aren't I awesome, Sonic?"

"Uh..." Sonic wasn't sure what to say. "Well done, Amy. You did good."

"Wow!" Amy shrieked, then hugged Sonic so suddenly that both he and Amy fell to the floor. "Thanks, Sonic!"

"Uh... hi?" Link said nervously. He walked over to Nerra. "You'd be the human-ish girl Lakitu mentioned?"

"Um... y-yes." Nerra blushed. Link was gorgeous!

"Nice to meet you." He held his hand to her.

"Ohh... oh! R-right. Nice to meet you, too." She shook hands with him, smiling like an idiot. She could tell that Link was a strong person. Powerful, kind, generous. It seemed obvious now. Of course Lakitu would send someone strong to deal with the evil force!

"Link." Knuckles spoke up. "Come with me." He walked toward the basement. Everyone sighed.

"Go on." Sonic told Link. "Humour him, eh? We'll watch."

"Watch what?" Link asked. "What am I going to be doing?"

"You'll see." Mighty said, grinning. "Come on." He guided Link to the basement, and everyone followed. They walked to Knuckle's workout room. Inside, Knuckles was moving all the training equipment to the side of the room. "Let me help, Knuckles." Mighty said, lifting two dumbbells, heavily loaded with weights, and moving them to the side of the room. Link stared in amazement as the two lifted impossibly heavy objects with ease, and put them against the walls of the room.

"There." Knuckles said when they'd finished. "Now, Link. I'm going to test you."

"Test me?" Link asked.

"That's right. I know Lakitu wouldn't send someone who couldn't handle themselves, but I want to see how good you are." Knuckles cracked his knuckles. "No weapons, though. Just fist-to-fist."

"Alright." Link agreed. He removed his sword sheathe and dropped it to the floor. He flexed his arms, walking toward Knuckles. "Conditions for victory?"

"First to fall." Knuckles replied shortly, standing ready.

"That means 'first to fall on his ass, back or face'." Sonic told Link, who nodded in acceptance. Nerra watched, anctipation building.

"Go, Link!" She cried. Link looked back at her, and grinned reassuringly. However, he wasn't as confident as he seemed.

_This'll be tough._ He thought to himself. _I'm not much good at fighting without a sword. Plus, this guy's stupid strong. One good punch from him, and I'm down for the count. I'll have to do alot of dancing around him._

"Let's go!" Knuckles yelled, then took the initiative. Link stared at him, amazed by his incredible speed. Surely someone with so much strength shouldn't be so fast? At the last moment, Link regained his senses, and span to one side. Knuckles came to a halt, then turned and lunged at Link again. Link leapt, then back-kicked Knuckles to the back of the head. Knuckles stumbled forward, but didn't fall. Instead, he turned, sending out a foot in a spinning kick. Link didn't have time to dodge it, and so brought his arms to his side to block it. The foot impacted, and Link was surprised that his bones hadn't shattered. It hurt alot. He slid to the side a little, then found himself falling. He planted a hand on the ground and cartwheeled into a standing position. He didn't have time to think about his next move, as Knuckles was above, spiked fists soaring down at him. Link waited a moment, an idea formulating. As Knuckles neared him, and Nerra cried 'Link, do something!', Link brought his left fist up at Knuckle's fist, knocking it upwards, making Knuckles flip slowly backwards. Link leapt, and planted his foot firmly on Knuckle's thigh, then catapulted him across the room, into a treadmill. Knuckles was still on his feet. Link dashed at him, fist drawn back for a punch. Knuckles grinned, and stepped aside. As Knuckles was about to hit Link with his own fist, Link put his hands against the wall, then pushed himself back, and roundhouse kicked Knuckles in the face. Knuckles staggered to the side, but still didn't fall.

"Oh, come on!" Link moaned. "How can you still stand??"

"I'm tough." Knuckles replied, grabbing Link's still-raised foot, and throwing him in the air. Knuckles leapt after him, readying a fist, but Link planted his feet on the ceiling, and threw himself back at Knuckles. Knuckles was clearly surprised by this, as his fist missed. Link buried his fist in Knuckle's stomach, and sent him rocketing to the ground. Link then realised that Knuckles' attack had been a feint. He had instead kicked Link in the thigh, tagging him. Link grabbed his thigh in pain, and slammed face-first into the floor, kicking up dust. Nerra shrieked. When the dust settled, Link looked around. He saw Knuckles sat on the floor just in front of him.

"I lost?" Link asked weakly. His neck hurt.

"No." Knuckles replied, smiling. "I landed on my back, then moved when I saw you about to land on me. I thought you were going to attack me again. I didn't realise you were injured so bad." He stood up, and offered a hand to Link. "You fight well, Link." Link accepted his hand, and got steadily to his feet. "You okay?"

"My neck just hurts a little." Link assured him.

"Not many people could survive face-planting the floor at that kind of speed. And you wondered why I didn't fall over from that kick to the face? I reckon we're made of the same stuff." He grinned, and Link grinned back.

"How's the treadmill?" He asked, looking at it. It was a mangled mess. "Whoops. Sorry."

"No worries. We'll get another." Knuckles patted Link on the shoulder. "Go with Tails and Tekno, and they'll sort your neck out. C'mon, Mighty, let's put all this stuff back."

"Got it." Mighty said, walking forwards. "Nice job, Link." He said, grinning widely. Link waved off the compliment, and walked toward the group.

"So, uh... who's Tails and Tekno?" He asked them.

"That's us." Tekno said, raising one hand and using the other to point at Tails. "This way." The two left the room, and Link followed. Nerra went with them.

-

"It'll hurt a bit, but bear with it." Tekno told Link in the lab.

"You were real good, Link." Tails told him, putting a metal collar around his neck. "Hey, I just remembered when Knuckles tested Daisy."

"Daisy??" Link asked, snapping his head round to look at Tails. "Oww..." Link groaned, as his neck throbbed in agony.

"All your adrenaline's gone, Link." Tekno said, gently turning Links' head to face forward. "You're neck'll hurt now."

"I noticed." Link hissed, trying to cope with the pain.

"Do you know Daisy?" Tails asked.

"Maybe. Could be a different Daisy."

"Could be. Lakitu sent Daisy to us a few months ago."

"Lakitu??" Link snapped his head round to look at Tails. "AAGH!! DAMMIT!"

"Then stop doing that!" Tekno snapped, turning Links head forward again. "Boys." She muttered.

"Sexist." Tails mumbled, but he was smiling. "Link, keep your head still. Okay, here we go." He flicked a small switch on the back of the collar.

"Ow!" Link gasped. It _did _hurt.

"You okay?" Nerra asked, worried.

"He'll be fine." Tekno said, looking at a screen. "It's fixing nicely."

"Let me see your arms, Link." Tails said. Link held his arms up. They hurt, too. "Broken." Tails chuckled. He got some sort of scanner, and scanned Links' arms. "Completely shattered. How on Mobius did you manage to keep fighting with your arms like this?"

"They're broken?" Link asked, casting his eyes downwards. "They don't look it."

"Well, they are. D'you want me to quick-fix these, or heal them properly?"

"How long will it take to do it properly?"

"A few months."

"Quick-fix then."

"Alright." Tails picked up two long metal sleeves, connected together by a wire and a small metal sphere, and attached them to Links' arms. "Brace yourself. This is gonna _kill_." He pushed a button on the metal sphere. Link gasped in pain as the sleeves started working. Sweat poured down his face as he tried not to scream, and bear the pain. Veins appeared on his neck, and his face contorted in pain. Nerra gripped Links' hands, and Link squeezed hers tightly. "It'll take a good few minutes to fix your arms." Tails told him. "And they'll be stiff for a while. Go easy on them."

"His neck's almost done." Tekno reported. "Another minute or so." She sighed, tapping a few things on a keyboard. "I'm gonna get a drink."

"Yeah, me too. See you in about five minutes, Link." Tails said as she and Tekno left.

"Hey!" Nerra shouted. "You're gonna just leave him?!"

"It's fine." Link growled. "Don't worry about it."

"Well, I'll stay here." She assured him. "I won't leave you."

"Thanks." Link grunted.

--

"You found him?" Lakitu was asking Sonic, Shadow and the others.

"Yup!" Amy said happily. "I'm the one who found him."

"Well done." Lakitu said mildly. "I can't believe I forgot to tell him about you guys. Oh, and I forgot to tell Maria about-" He sighed. "Wow, I'm slipping." He rubbed his temples. "So, where is he?"

"Link?" Mighty asked. "He just had a spar with Knuckles."

"Did he win?"

"Yeah, somehow. He hurt his neck pretty bad, and Knuckles shattered both his forearms. Dunno how he managed to keep fighting with shattered forearms."

"All creatures can do amazing things from time to time. Adrenaline counts for alot of it."

"Well, yeah, but adrenaline only keeps you aware, and dumbs down pain." Tails said. "It shouldn't make you able to completely ignore two _completely shattered_ forearms!"

"Adrenaline isn't just some fluid released to numb pain." Lakitu told him. "It's a magic liquid, than can boost and amplify a creature's powers, skills and abilities. Only true warriors and Heroes can use its magic properties, though."

"Then I'm not a true warrior?" Mighty asked, looking crestfallen. "Damn. All that training for nothing."

"Now, now, Mighty. You're not a true warrior _yet_. Then again, you might never be. You might become a Hero someday."

"Yeah, right. I'll aim for 'true warrior', thanks." Mighty grinned.

"Oh, hey, yeah!" Tekno said suddenly. "Lakitu, does Link know Daisy?"

"Hm? He does, indeed. They met in the Mushroom Kingdom. Daisy helped him a great deal."

"Really? So, they're friends?"

"Acquaintances is more accurate." Lakitu chuckled. "Say, where's Nerra?"

"She's with Link." Tails said, smirking. Lakitu chuckled again.

"I thought those two would get along." He said, almost victoriously. "Say, did you try that machine?" He asked. Tekno and Tails nodded. "And?" Their silence answered his question. "Oh well. She'll just have to re-learn everything." He sighed. "And I have to teach her. But not before I go to Elibe and check on Maria." He disappeared. Then, he reappeared. "Oh, you should try and find the rest of the Chaos Emeralds. I know you probably will anyway, but just to make sure."

"Yes, yes." Sonic told him. "We will. If Shadow and I go Super, we should be able to-"

"No, no, no. Not just you and Shadow. Link too."

"Why?"

"He'll need something to give him a power boost, if he needs to fight the Evil One, or the Quetzalcoatl. Plus, I wanna see Super Link!" He laughed. "It'd be so cool." Then, he disappeared.

"Wow..." Shortfuse said. It was the first he'd spoken in a long time. "He's interesting."

"He seems different somehow." Shadow mused. "He seems more forgetful, more scatter-brained."

"Yeah, no kidding." Vector agreed. "Wonder if something's up?"

"Well, it's not our place to pry." Espio told them "We should leave him be, unless he asks for our help." The others agreed.

"We'll have to tell Link that it's his Daisy that came here." Sonic announced.

"Yeah. I'll go tell him now." Tails said. "I've gotta check that his arms are fixed anyway." He got up, and walked toward the basement.

--

"How're you feeling?" Tails asked as he entered the lab.

"Need you ask?" Link growled, face still twisted in pain. "My arms hurt. Alot."

"Well, you're necks' fixed." Tails told him, taking the collar off. "And your arms will be done in a few moments."

"That's good." Link sighed.

"Hey, by the way. It was your Daisy that came here."

"His Daisy?" Nerra asked.

"A girl I met in the Mushroom Kingdom." Link explained to her. "She helped me out."

"Oh. Is she..." She couldn't form the words. 'Is she your girlfriend?' 'Do you like her?' Something like that.

"I've no idea where she is. I assume she's at her place, with that 'Stud Luigi'." He sighed.

"Luigi?" Nerra asked. The name seemed vaguely familiar. As did Daisy.

"Yeah. He and I don't get along. We had a bit of a fight when we first met. But, he and Daisy seem to get along fine."

"Daisy disappeared a couple of months ago." Tails told him. "Lakitu seemed upset about it."

"She's missing?" Link asked. "Where is she?"

"That's why she's missing, Link." Nerra said. "No-one knows where she is."

"Okay, your arms are done." He removed the metal sleeves. "Be gentle with them. They'll be stiff, but brittle, for a while. This machine only sticks the bones back together. They still need time to be as strong as they were before."

"Right. I'll be careful." Link said, slowly getting to his feet. "Thanks, Tails." Tails patted him on the back.

--

Link spent the entire day being introduced to everyone. He seemed nervous, Nerra thought. She held his hand for moral support. He seemed glad she did, as he gripped her hand tightly during the introductions. Nerra was glad to be there for him, especially since she didn't have anyone there for her when she first came here. She felt she had to do this for Link. Knuckles seemed to have taken a real liking to Link, as had Mighty. Charmy was as friendly to Link as he was to everyone: way too much. Link was mostly surprised by the wide variety of characters and personalities here, and he wasn't sure how he should act. Nerra had assured him to just be himself, but Link was still apprehensive. As Link was told what everyone was capable of, his nervousness tripled. Super-fast, super-strong, flying, super-smart, turning invisible. They were like superheroes from a story. After the introductions were over, Amy and Rouge insisted that they take him clothes shopping. They argued that he stood out too much in a 'skirt'. Link yelled at them for that, telling that it was a tunic, the clothes of all his people, and the clothes of the legendary hero whom he had been named after. They apologised, but stood by their arguement that he stood out too much. Link had to agree to that. They all agreed that Amy, Shadow, Knuckles, Mighty and Nerra could take Link shopping tomorrow. Amy insisted the most on taking him, Nerra insisted on going with him, Knuckles and Mighty wanted to hang out with him and get to know him, and Shadow decided to go and keep them under control. Everyone else had to patrolling, to look out for the 'Creature'. When Link asked, they promised to tell him when he finished shopping.

**Lakitu and Adia**

Lakitu sat in his room, and sighed, leafing through a book of magic. Which of these spell should he teach Adia next? Which would be the most useful in the near future? He couldn't choose. Majora, who was also there, leaned over his shoulder, breathing softly in his ear. Lakitu moaned, a shiver running down his spine.

"M-Majora, please..." He moaned. "I'm trying concentrate."

"Sorry, love." Majora apologised, but he was grinning. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to decide what to teach Adia next. I need to teach her stuff she's going to need. Then I'll teach her everything else."

"She's learned just about everything she'll need to defend herself. Except for that one." He pointed to a spell. "Does she know that one?"

"No, she doesn't." Lakitu said, reading the spell carefully. "But, it might be a bit much for her. Even I struggle with it sometimes. I mean, I pulled it off almost perfectly on Eo once, but that was heat of the moment."

"That's when studies and hard work pay off the most. You can be useless at a spell when you're trying, but in the heat of the moment, you can pull it off with ease. Teach her the spell, Lakitu."

"Alright, dear." Lakitu agreed. "Thank you."

"No problem." Majora replied, and blowed gently on Lakitu's ear. Lakitu whimpered, blushing and squirming.

"Majora, stop doing that. You know how it makes me."

"That's the point." Majora said, holding Lakitu's chin, turning his head to face him. "That's the very point, my love." He kissed Lakitu gently on the lips, closing his eyes. Lakitu closed his own eyes, returning the kiss, stroking Majora's face. A moment later, the two pulled apart.

"I... I have to go and-"

"Sshhh." Majora silenced him. "Later, Lakitu."

"But..."

"Shush." Majora pressed a finger against Lakitu's mouth. "Later. Take some time to relax, and enjoy yourself." He stroked Lakitu's lips with his finger, and smiled impishly as Lakitu's lips parted slightly. Majora kissed Lakitu again, this time with more passion. Lakitu reached for the book of magic, and closed it.

--

"So, Adia." Lakitu said some time later. "I'm only going to teach you one spell this time, because it's a difficult one."

"Okay." Adia agreed. She wore her usual purple sleeveless top, short black skirt and striped purple and black knee-high socks. "What spell is it?"

"This one." Lakitu pulled the magic book from his cloud, Cirrus, and opened it to the marked page. He showed it to Adia.

"Uhmm... 'Energy Beam Tomb'?" She asked.

"That's the one. It fires off a huge beam, which then wraps around your opponent, and shrinks to a small size. You can make it shrink to nothing, or explode."

"Wow. Deadly." Adia read the information about the spell. "It sounds cool."

"Very." Lakitu smiled. "Now, let's-"

"Oh, Master!" Adia said suddenly. Lakitu looked at her inquisitively. "You know you have to check on Maria and Link every so often, right?"

"Yes." Lakitu said, guessing where this was going.

"W-would it be alright... if I... ch-checked on Link... in your place?"

"Link, you say?"

"Um! B-because, you're real busy all the time. And-and I'm supposed to be your apprentice, so I should help you, and..." She stopped when Lakitu started laughing.

"Excuses, excuses." He said. "Adia, if you want to see Link, then just say so."

"I do! I want to see him. I really like him."

"You do know that-"

"Not like that!" Adia protested, perhaps a little too quickly. "He's engaged, I know. He's going to marry that Malon girl. I don't feel that way about him. He's more like a big brother."

"Ah." Lakitu realised. Adia had left her younger siblings behind, and she was the oldest of three children. She had never had a big brother. "Alright, Adia. You can check on Link. Every time you go, I'll tell you what you need to do, what you need check and so on, okay?"

"Okay!" She said happily. "Thank you, Master!"

"Now, about this spell."

"Of course!" She replied instantly, reading about the spell again. Lakitu smiled.

_She's so cute sometimes._ He thought to himself.

_Like you, dear._ Majora whispered in his mind. Lakitu chuckled at that.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Myst and Maria**

Myst paced the corridors or Castle Reglais, looking at the various portraits and paintings on the walls. Many of them depicted battles. Battles with huge armies, powerful magic-users and dragons. Myst paused in front of the first dragon picture. Had this really happened? She could see Erk, Nino and Pent in the picture, along with some other people she didn't know, all fighting against a massive dragon. She looked carefully at the picture. The dragon was attacking everyone, as were some other humans in the background. Nino looked so young in the picture, barely fourteen, and there were two other children, barely twelve, in the picture. Were they protecting the children from the dragon? But then, why was Nino fighting, too? Even Erk looked younger, maybe a year older than Nino. An old man with long white hair and beard stood at the front of the group, alongside two young-looking men, one a thin red-head, one a bukly main with striking blue hair, and a thin woman with long green hair. Who were they? Erk, Nino and Pent stood just behind the four, striking the dragon with magic. Two other magic-users stood next to them. It looked quite and epic and fierce battle, as three archers, two on foot, and one on horse-back, fired a slew of arrows at the dragon. Some other people at the back of the group fought off the humans who were attacking.

"Interesting, isn't it?" A voice asked, making Myst shriek in surprise. "Sorry, did I scare you?" A woman stood next to Myst. She had long, shiny golden hair, flowing down to her waist. She wore a white and pale blue robe. She smiled gently at Myst. Myst was in awe of her beauty.

"Um... y-yes..." Myst managed to see.

"My apologies. Might I ask your name, young one?" She asked in a wonderfully soft and tender voice.

"I uh... Myst." She replied.

"Myst? A nice name. I am Lucius."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucius." Myst replied, unable to take her eyes off this extreme beauty.

"Is something bothering you, Miss Myst?"

"Eh?" Myst hadn't heard. "I was looking at this picture..."

"Ah, yes. The final battle. I'm in this picture, you know."

"You are? Where?" Myst asked, snapping her head to look at the picture again.

"Right there." Lucius pointed to the person with blonde hair and white and blue robes, next to Erk. "That's me."

"Wow. Did you really fight a dragon?"

"We did. Many of us almost perished at its hand. Lord Athos died after the battle."

"Athos?"

"The old man at the front." She pointed to him. "He was the ArchSage. He could use all forms of magic. Everyone looked up to him. He also fought in the Scouring, alongside Roland, Elimine, and the other heroes."

"I... don't know those people."

"You don't? Everyone is taught of the Scouring. Unless... ah, you're the stranger Lord Pent spoke of?"

"I... suppose." Myst replied, trying her hardest not to look at Lucius again. If she did, she would be spellbound, unable to speak, and Lucius would think she was being rude, and maybe get angry. Could such a beauty get angry?

"Then, I am honoured to meet you, Myst. Erk speaks much of you."

"Erk? Were you friends with him?" Myst asked, finally looking at her. Lucius chuckled, a musical sound.

"Not precisely friends. We were comrades. We knew each other, and fought alongside each other, but we weren't close enough to be friends."

"Oh." Myst didn't know what more to say.

"Lucius! You found her!" Erk's voice called, and Myst held back a sigh of relief. She didn't want to offend Lucius by staring at her non-stop without saying a word.

"Erk!" Lucius said in surprise. "Yes, I did. I was enjoying tell her about that fight against the dragon." Erk was now stood beside Myst.

"Making yourself out to be a hero?" Erk asked, grinning.

"No! I'd never!" Lucius protested. "You know Monks don't take undue credit."

"I know, I know. I was playing." Erk assured her. "Hey, Myst. Enjoying Lucius' company? Myst?" Myst hadn't replied. She was still staring at Lucius. "Hey, Myst." He tapped her shoulder. Myst jumped, gasping.

"Y-yes?" She asked.

"I asked if you were enjoying Lucius' company."

"Oh. I am."

"Good. I'm glad. He's a good man. I kinda like him."

"You've said before." Lucius replied, grinning.

"Man?" Myst asked. "He?" She stared at Lucius, jaw dropped.

"Yes." Lucius replied. "You mistook me for a woman?" Myst continued to gape, her face turning red. She turned and ran away as fast as she could.

"Yeah, she did." Erk said. "Everyone does." He patted Lucius on the shoulder. "Well, you're a very pretty man."

"I suppose I should be used to it by now." Lucius sighed. "But it's still annoying sometimes."

"Just don't take it out on her." Erk warned.

"I won't."

-

Myst threw herself onto her bed. She felt so embarrased, mistaking Lucius for a woman. _But he was so pretty!_ She thought. _How was I supposed to know?_ _And his voice is so soft and gentle. He even sounds like a woman!_ She was almost crying, she was so embarrased.

"Myst?" Nino's voice came from the door. "I saw you running, looking upset. Something wrong?" Myst had left the door open, and Nino walked inside. She sat on Myst's bed, and patted her on the back. "Come on, what's wrong?"

"This is her room?" Lucius' voice came. Myst shrieked, then dived under the covers. Lucius appeared, and glanced into the room. "Hello, Nino."

"Lucius." Nino replied, grinning impishly. "How are you? Looking for Myst?"

"That's right. She ran away looking embarrased. I think she mistook me for a woman." Nino burst out laughing at that.

"Well, who doesn't?" She asked. "You're the prettiest man in the world. Remember what Serra said to you?"

"Yes. She was rather shocked to discover I was a man."

"Yeah, that was hilarious!" Nino was still laughing. "Come out from there, Myst!" She stood up, and pulled at the bed covers. Myst kept a tight grip. "Myst, come on! It's okay, you know."

"Come on out, Myst." Lucius said, walking to her bed. The two heard Myst whine, and saw her curl up under the covers.

"Wow, she's real embarrased. Give her some time, Lucius."

"Alright. See you later Nino, Myst." He left, closing the door behind him. Once he had gone, Myst poked her head out from beneath the covers.

"Silly girl." Nino said to her as she sat upright. "Everyone mistakes Lucius for a girl. There's not a person in our little army who didn't."

"Army?"

"Didn't anybody tell you that we fought dragons?"

"I saw the picture. There was only one dragon."

"Well, yeah. I suppose Ninian didn't really count. Well, there were alot of us, and we all thought Lucius was a girl at first. Serra was the funniest example. She told Lucius that she was the senior cleric, and that Lucius couldn't talk to her because she hated the idea of someone being more beautiful than her."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was so funny when she found out."

"Oh, poor Serra."

"Poor Serra? Nah. She deserved that. Evil witch. Have you heard Erk ranting about her?"

"No."

"Ah, well. He probably will, someday. Those two really didn't get along." Nino sat on the bed again. "Lucius gets it all the time, Myst. He's used to it. Don't take it so hard."

"Well, I'll go apologise to him later."

"That's a good idea. Anyway, let's go for a walk."

"Alright." Myst agreed, standing up.

"But first, let's get some food from the kitchen."

"Yeah. He even _sounds_ like a woman!"

"Leave it, Myst. I already told you, everyone does it. Let's just go for a walk, okay?"

"Fine." Myst sighed.

--

A while later, Nino and Myst were walking around outside the castle.

"Did you hear something?" Myst asked Nino.

"No. Did you?"

"Yeah, I think I did. There! I heard it again."

"Hey, I think I can hear it, too."

"Hey! Hello!" A voice called.

"Who is that?" Nino wondered, looking around. "Ah! There!" She pointed. Myst looked, and saw someone running toward them. "It's a woman." Nino observed. "What's she doing out here?"

"Maybe she's lost?" Myst suggested.

"Maybe. Let's go find out." Nino walked toward the girl.

"Wait! She could be a bandit, or something. We should be... Nino!" Nino was already near the stranger. "Nino..." Myst sighed, following her.

"Hello!" Nino called to the girl. The girl waved in response. Myst fell into pace with Nino, and approached the stranger. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"I'm... lost." The girl replied. "Someone sent me here, but I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go, or who I'm supposed to meet." The girl stopped in front of Nino and Myst. She stared at Myst. "Do I know you?"

"Um..." Myst was sure she didn't. "I don't think so."

"Oh." The girl seemed convinced that they had met before. "I guess not."

"What's your name?" Nino asked, cutting between the two.

"My name's Maria. What about you two?"

"I'm Nino, and this is Myst."

"Myst, huh." Maria looked at Myst. "Nice to meet you both."

"Would you like to come to the castle? I'll explain to Lord Pent. I'm sure he'll let you stay until you know where you need to be."

"If you'd be so kind.' Maria said, sighing with relief. "I was so worried I'd be lost forever." Nino turned and walked toward Castle Reglais, Myst and Maria close in tow.

--

"Maria, an honour to meet you." Lord Pent said, giving her a small bow. "Lakitu told me to expect your arrival." Maria and Pent sat in his study.

"You know Lakitu?" Maria asked. "And he told you about me?"

"He did, yes."

"Strange. He didn't mention you at all to me."

"No? That _is_ strange. Then again, he has been acting oddly lately. He seems forgetful, and paranoid. It's like he's constantly looking over his shoulder. I worry for him."

"Are you friends with him?"

"As good a name as any." Pent replied with a chuckle.

:"Lord Pent, who is that Myst girl?" Maria asked.

"Myst? She is a stranger who appeared here a while ago with no memory of herself. Why do you ask?"

"She looks familiar. I'm sure I've met her before."

"Really? Does she feel the same way?"

"No. She doesn't recognise me at all. Not surprising, considering this isn't my usual... appearance."

"What do you mean? You normally dress differently?"

"Not... quite. I, uh... am originally a man."

"A man? Oh!" Pent gasped. "Yes, of course! Mario! You drank from a magical spring, if I recall."

"That's right. I never got chance to drink from it again and change back."

"Tragic." Pent muttered, shaking his head. "But, fear not. There is a spell you can learn that will turn back to your original appearance. And another spell, that will turn you back to this one. You never know when you might need to be a woman."

"Yeah, Lakitu said something like that to me." Maria told him. Pent chuckled.

"We think alike, Lakitu and I. Were he not a tortoise, I would swear we were brothers." He shook his head again. "We both talk too much, too. Let me show you to a room." He led her out of the room. "I know you're here to stop Eo, who is in this world somewhere. If you want, I would be honoured to teach you magic."

"I'd like to learn. I'll probably need it to fight Eo again. Hey, how'd you know about that?"

"Lakitu and I are both Scholars. We share many things among each other. Kaepora Gaebora also knows, as does Majora."

"Who?"

"You knew him once as Skull Kid. Remember, when the the Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule merged?"

"Oh, yeah. He was telling us to keep thinking, and told when we could stop." Pent stopped outside a door.

"This should be good enough for you." He opened the door. "I hope you enjoy your stay." The room was large, with a huge bed, which looked tremendously comfortable.

"Are you sure?" Maria asked. "I don't really need all this..."

"It's fine. After all, you will save us from Eo again. This is the least I can do."

"Well... if you insist." Maria sighed, not used to such luxuries. She walked into her room.

"I'll give you time to settle in. Later on, I'll have to introduce you to Erk. He'll be helping me teach you magic. Nino, too, though she'll be busy with Myst, most likely."

"Okay. Thank you so much for this, Lord Pent."

"Please, just Pent. Think of me as a friend, Maria. I'll see you later." He closed the door. Maria gazed around her magnificent room. She didn't have chance to take it all in, as a movement in her hoody pocket distracted her. Just as she moved to put her hand inside, something shot out of it.

"PUH-WOWW!" It gasped, circling the room. "Didn't expect to end up in there!" It stopped circling, then looked at Maria. "Maria!" It gasped.

"Eraf!" Maria was shocked. "I'm so glad you're here! But... you're still a fairy."

"Hm? Yeah, what's up with that? Well, it's okay. I can already feel the change happening. I'll be human again soon."

"Good." Maria grinned. "I wanna give you a proper hug. A _real_ tight one!" She smiled widely. "It was lonely, wandering around without you."

"Aww... sweetie." Eraf flew over and kissed her on the cheek. She flitted over to the bed. "This is your room, huh?" She asked Maria, who was taking her hoody off.

"Yup. Nice bid beg for the two us." Maria said, still smiling.

"Bid beg?" Eraf asked, giggling. Maria blushed and tossed her hoody to one side. "Big bed, sweetheart. And you're right: it is big enough for the both of us." She grinned impishly, then sat herself down on the bed. No sooner had her buttocks made contact with the bedsheets, did she glow and transform into human Eraf. She looked at herself, and stared at Maria. "I'm human now." She stood up, smoothing down the short skirt she had worn back in Maria's apartment. Maria dashed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair.

"I missed you, love." Maria muttered into Eraf's ear, brushing her lips against it. Eraf shuddered, smiling.

"I missed you, too." She replied, returning the embrace. A minute later, Maria released Eraf and sat on the bed. Eraf sat next to her.

"Did you see Link? Oh, sorry, you wouldn't have. He was already... wherever it was I ended up, when I got there."

"No, I didn't. I _did_ see the Great Fairy and Malon, though."

"Oh? And how is Malon?"

"She was depressed that she couldn't go with Link. So, I used my fairy magic to send her to him."

"Really? Are you sure that was such a good idea?"

"I'm sure it was. It's not right to be apart from those you love."

"Well, I agree with you there." Maria said, kissing Eraf lightly on the cheek. "But, don't you think Lakitu had his reasons for making Malon stay behind?"

"Probably. But, whatever the reason, I doubt it was good enough to make her stay behind. It's just not right."

"Alright, alright." Maria sighed. There was no reasoning with Eraf when she was this set on something. "Let's just forget about that for now. I'd quite like to enjoy your company again, after spending almost a whole day without you."

"A whole day?" Eraf asked. "We were barely seperate for a few hours."

"Really? Well, it was before midday when I arrived in Elibe, and the sun was almost setting when I got to this castle."

"That's weird. Maybe time's different in different places?"

"Obviously."

"Aww..." Eraf smiled. "My poor Maria, spending a whole day without me. Well, let's make up for that, shall we?" She unbuttoned the small jacket she was wearing, and cast it to the floor. Maria pulled Eraf close, and kissed her on the lips, hands reaching for the short skirt Eraf wore.

--

"This is Erk, Maria." Pent said later on, in the courtyard. Erk nodded to Maria. Maria nodded in return. "And Nino." Pent said, pointing at a green-haired girl who was walking toward them. "Nino, over here!" He called to her. Nino walked over to them. "Erk's going to be teaching Maria magic, Nino. I'd like you to help, when you're not too busy with Myst."

"Since when was I in charge of Myst?" Nino asked.

"Since Maria arrived." Pent told her, patting her on the head. "Someone needs to watch her. I'll be teaching Maria magic, if I get spare time. Though I'll be spending a lot of time a Scholar University. Maybe, Nino, you could teach Myst magic, too. Then, the four of you can spend more time with each other. Excellent idea, yes? Nino and Erk can teach Maria and Myst magic. Do you agree?"

"Yes, Lord Pent." Erk and Nino said in unison.

"Now, Maria." Pent looked at her. "About your new companion." He nodded his head in the direction of Marias' room. "I'll have another room prepared for her, alright?"

"No need, Pent." Maria replied. "She'll share my room."

"Are you sure?" Pent asked, looking a little surprised. Maria nodded.

"I spent half a day without her here, and I don't intend to spend every night without her, too. She'll be staying in my room."

"Oh! So, you two are together, are you? Very well. You may share the room. What... is your partners' name?"

"Eraf."

"Eraf? The fairy that... oh, I see!" He smiled. "Well, everything is settled. I have to be at Scholar University tomorrow. Erk and Nino, I leave you two to devise the lesson plans, alright? However, the first spell you must teach Maria... and possibly Miss Eraf, too, is the Form Exposing spell, and the Form Eclipsing spell. Understood?"

"Lord Pent..." Erk began. Lord Pent nodded for him to speak. "With all due respect, Milord, Nino and I do not know these spells ourselves. How can we teach a spell we don't know?"

"Well, you have until tomorrow to learn them, don't you?" He said with a grin. "Good day, everyone." He walked toward the tower. Erk stood staring at him, straining to speak. He sighed, and hung his head. Nino patted him on the shoulder.

"We're good Mages, Erky. We'll get it learned by tomorrow, no worries."

"Yes, but the magic..."

"We can control it, remember? We took the time to learn the frequencies and speeds it travels at, so we can adjust, remember? Stop trying to make excuses. You learned Fimbulvetr in two hours, Erk. That's a second-level spell."

"All the same... Form changing spells are first level. They require... almost limitless control and co-ordination! First, we have to learn them by tomorrow, and them teach them to people who know almost nothing about magic! I don't think I can meet Lord Pent's expectations." He moaned. Nino started laughing. "Wh...what? What's so funny?" Nino continued to laugh, trying to control.

"Oh, Erky!" She thumped him on the arm. "It's always about Lord Pent with you! Sorry, sorry. I'm not meant to laugh, but..." She burst out again. "It's always Lord Pent!!" She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"Nino, come on..." Erk groaned. Maria took this time to sneak away, and explore the castle.

--

Sometime later, Maria came across the girl Myst, staring at a large picture in a corridor. She approached her, wondering how to start a conversation. Looking at the picture, Maria saw that it was a picture of many people fighting a large dragon. Erk, Nino and Pent were in it.

"What's this?" She asked Myst, who jumped.

"It's, uh... a picture of a fight against a dragon. See that old man there?" She pointed. "That's Athos, the ArchSage. He died shortly after the dragon was slain. Erk, Nino, Pent and Lucius are in there, too." Maria looked closely at the picture.

"Hey, Lyn's there, too!" She realised.

"Lyn?" Myst asked, looking at her.

"The one with long green hair." Maria pointed her out. "She lives in Castle Caelin. I'm not sure what her title is, other than 'Lady'."

"Oh, cool. When did you meet her? I thought you'd never been here before."

"Oh, I met her once. I was searching for someone at the time. I jumped into the warp pipe, thinking about the person, and ended up in Castle Caelin."

"Who were you searching for?"

"A princess from the Mushroom Kingdom. Well, I say Mushroom Kingdom. She's actually from Sarasa Land."

"Sarasa Land?" That name sounded vaguely familiar to Myst.

"Yeah. Princess Daisy."

"Daisy..." That name sounded familiar to Myst, too.

"Yup. My brother's girlfriend. He's gone missing, too."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. I'll find him someday. I can't wait to introduce him to Eraf."

"Eraf? Oh, that friend of yours who suddenly appeared?"

"Yup. She'll like Luigi."

"Luigi!" Myst shrieked. She suddenly remembered something. A man in blue dungarees and hat, wearing a green long-sleeved shirt, sporting a very nice moustache.

"Yeah, Luigi." Maria replied, not noticing Myst's rise in volume. "Last I saw of him, he'd leapt in the warp pipe after Toad. I haven't seen him since."

"Last I saw..." Myst said, remembering more. "He said he was going... somewhere... to help someone... I.. can't remember where or who, though."

"It wouldn't be Link, would it? Link said he had a fight with Luigi."

"Link..." Myst chewed on the name for a moment. "Yes, I think that was it. Then, he never came back. And then I... what was it? Someone... sent me somewhere." She frowned. Luigi was the only thing on her mind right now, and she wasn't sure why. "I remember that I saw a man in a red cloak once. The person who sent me... wherever it was, told me to forget about him, but said he was a friend of mine... the only person I know with a red cloak is Erk." She sighed, and sat on the floor, holding her head. "I'm trying to remember... it's all coming, but I just can't... _see_ it!" She pounded her fists on the floor.

"Does the name Mario mean anything to you?" Maria asked.

"Mario? ...vaguely. Luigi's brother, I think. Shorter, fatter... his moustache isn't as nice." Maria gasped at that. Luigi had a nicer moustache? Impossible!

"Uhm... what about Lakitu?"

"HIM!" Myst yelled. "He's the one who sent me! And I saw... umm... Sonic and Shadow... and a strange world, where there were strange glowing orbs, spiking every so often."

"The Void." Pent's voice said from behind the two. "When have you gone to the Void?"

"Um... when I was with Sonic and Shadow." Myst replied. "I was there to... investigate something... a big monster, I think. Quetzalcoatl." She stood up.

"Sweet Elimine..." Pent gasped. "Lakitu told me about that. He..." Pent shook his head.

"Princess Peach." Maria snapped at Myst. "Do you know that name?"

"Y-yes." Myst looked confused. "She was a friend of mine. Still is a friend."

"Toad?"

"Her steward."

"Bowser?"

"Her kidnapper."

"Daisy?"

"Daisy..." Mysts' eyes went blank. "M-me..." She said quietly, then fainted. Maria caught her before she fell to the floor.

"I have to tell Lakitu right away!" Pent gasped, dashing to his room. Maria picked Myst up, and carried her to the infirmary.

--

_I've found you, Maiden._ A voice said in Daisy's head. _You had me worried for a while there._ Who was that? _It's me, Lakitu. I've been turning the worlds upside down looking for you. Open your eyes and wake up, Maiden. _Daisy did so, and looked around. She recognised the infirmary of Castle Reglais. Erk, Nino, Pent, Maria and Maria's friend stood next to her. Floating behind them was Lakitu.

"How are you feeling, Maiden?" Lakitu asked her.

"Fine." Daisy replied, sittnig up.

"That's good." Lakitu said, floating over to her. She stepped off his cloud and sat on her bed. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Happened?"

"When you disappeared."

"Oh. I, um... went to that place... the Void, was it? I wanted to see the red-cloaked man again. I hoped one the orbs would spike so I could see him. Then... one spiked, and swallowed me. Everything went black. Then, I was here. Erk!" She gasped, looking at him. "You're the one! The one I was looking for in the Void!"

"Wh-why?" Erk asked.

"Lakitu said you were a friend of mine. But how? We're from different worlds!"

"Dammit..." Lakitu muttered. "I wish I hadn't said that."

"Care to explain, Lakitu?" Erk asked the tortoise.

"Not really. Some other time, maybe. For now, I need to take Daisy back home, where she belongs. Her attendants are most worried about her." He stepped onto his cloud again.

"No." Daisy said.

"No?" Lakitu repeated, staring at her. "Whyever not?"

"If I go home, I'll have nothing to do. All I'll be able to do is think about Luigi. Then I'll get depressed over not being able to see him. I want to stay here, and help Maria with whatever it is she's doing."

"If... if you're sure, Maiden..." Lakitu was clearly surprised. "I'll tell your attendants that you're safe. Just take care of yourself, okay?" Daisy nodded. "Maria, Erk and Nino, I need you two to keep an eye on her. Make sure she stays safe." They agreed.

"Lakitu, how come I know Erk?" Daisy asked.

"I already said I'll explain some other time, Maiden. Now is hardly the time or place to be reviving old relationships. You and Erk aren't ready to know each other again, and I've said too much, so I'll go be going." He disappeared. Erk and Daisy stared at each other. The others stared uneasily between the two.

"Lakitu's nervous about something." Pent said, breaking the tense silence. "He's saying things he shouldn't. I'm worried about him."

"I'm more worried about this 'relationship' between Erky and Daisy." Nino said, glaring at Erk. "Do you know her?"

"I'm... sure I do." Erk replied. "I already told you about this, Nino. I know her, but I don't know where from."

"How can you," Maria asked, "If you're from different worlds?"

"I wish I knew. Lakitu said he'd explain later, so why waste time wondering? We have more important things to worry about right now." The others agreed, Daisy somewhat reluctantly. "So, Nino and I are to teach Maria and Eraf magic. Daisy, you're welcome to study with us."

"Please." Daisy replied instantly, eager for something to take her mind off things.

"Oh!" Lakitu's voice gasped as he reappeared. "Maiden, I did a little tinkering with your mind, I'm sure you don't mind." Daisy said nothing. "I've allowed Myst to remain. It seems she has a better mind for combat than you. So, you can 'change' into Myst any time you like. Just call for her in your mind."

"I don't get that." Daisy told him. "We're both the same person, right?"

"Kinda. Myst is different to you. A different personality. It's not uncommon for someone with amneisa to get a different identity and personality to their original. You won't miss anything while you're Myst. It's just like Mario and Maria."

"Eh?"

"Oh... I'm sure Maria will explain that to you. Anyway. You're better for magic, Myst is better for fighting. Just call for her in your head, and you can change. Okay? See ya!" He disappeared again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Luigi**

Luigi and Sereng walked around Clock Town, killing time.

"Why are we just wandering around like this?" Sereng asked Luigi.

"Something to do." Luigi replied with a shrug. "I've got a delivery coming soon. I've got to replace a few doors, get the lighting sorted, then replace the beds. And the entire kitchen, pretty much. I've got the stuff for the kitchen coming today. So, I'm just wasting time until it gets here. You don't have to stick around with me, Okami. You can go do your own thing if you want to."

"No, I don't mind." Sereng told him. "I was just asking." Luigi looked at him from the corner his eye, shrugged, then walked toward the Post Office. "How about a quick walk outside of town?" Sereng offered. "We can walk from this entrance-" He pointed to it. "Right round to the entrance by the inn. We might even see the delivery being made."

"Hm? I suppose." Luigi replied. His mind had been elsewhere, as usual.

"Let's go, then." He said, walking toward one of the four town exits. Luigi followed, his mind _once again_ somewhere else.

_What is it that he always thinks about?_ Sereng wondered to himself. _He's always thinking, his mind elsewhere. At first it was irritating, but now I'm beginning to grow suspicious. It's like he's planning something for us. _He walked past the guard, who gave a quick nod, pointed at his feet, then held up three fingers. Sereng nodded in return. It seemed the guard wanted to meet him at three in the afternoon. Sereng and Luigi left the town, and started to enjoy a relaxing, quiet walk.

--

Lakitu was not relaxed. Or enjoying himself. Nor even quiet. He was actually throwing somewhat of a tantrum, hurling things through the air and shouting loudly. Majora, alerted by the noises, went straight to the room to investigate. He opened the door, and was shocked by what he saw."Whatever is the matter with you??" Majora asked loudly, grabbing Lakitu's arm before he could throw an essence jar (that Majora was rather fond of). Lakitu turned his head to look at the one who dared intrude, a look of pure evil and rage on his face. It softened almost instantly when he saw it was Majora.

"M-Majora... I, um..." Majora took the jar from Lakitu and placed it back on the table.

"You've trashed our room, Lakitu." Majora said sternly. "I've never seen you do that. What's wrong?"

"Um... w-well... urm..." Lakitu started wringing his fingers. "I... remembered that important thing that I forgot."

"What important thing?"

"You don't remember? I kept telling you that I felt like I'd forgotten something. I've remembered now."

"Oh? Well, what had you forgotten?"

"I kinda... sent Luigi to Termina, to keep him out of the way until the whole Eo fiasco was sorted. I sorta... forgot I put him there."

"So, he's been trapped there for the past three months?" Majora gasped. Lakitu nodded meekly.

"I was just releasing the anger I felt at myself for being so stupid, then I was going to go fetch him."

"There are other ways to release anger, dear." Majora told him, rubbing his temples. "Trashing your room is not one of those ways."

"I'm sorry." Lakitu hung his head.

"Send Adia." Majora suggested. "Tell her about it, and send her. If she's your student, apprentice, disciple, she'll have to learn to things like this sooner or later."

"I suppose." Lakitu agreed, lifting his head.

"Just don't get angry or shocked is she should happen to decide to leave him there."

"Why would she, if I told her to bring him home?" Lakitu asked. Majora shrugged.

"You never know."

--

As Sereng and Luigi neared the east entrance of Clock Town, the delivery carriage Luigi had been waiting for entered town. Luigi was relieved to see it, and started jogging back toward the town. Sereng ran after him. When they were almost at the town, a young girl with light blue hair, with dark-blue streaks running through it, and large green eyes, stood in front of them. She wore a purple sleeveless top, black skirt, black and purple striped knee-high socks and black travelling boots. Her ears were similar to an elfs', but pointed more vertically.

"Can we help you?" Luigi asked the young girl. Sereng finally caught up, gasping for breath. The girl stared at Luigi, her face showing a politely confused expression. The girl nodded her head to Sereng. "Um..." Luigi turned to him. "Okami, could you go and sort that delivery out? I think this girl wants me for something. I'll be there in a few minutes." Sereng nodded, still to exhausted to speak, then half-jogged into the town. "Poor guy. He's not as fit as he looks." He looked back to the girl. "So, what can I do for you?" The girl smiled, flashing pointed teeth.

"You're Luigi, right?" She asked, moving her hips side to side. Luigi nodded. The girl's smile widened. "I'm here to take you home."

"You know where my home is?" Luigi asked, doubting the girl.

"Of course." The girl told him. She grinned cheekily, then said one of the most shocking things Luigi had ever heard. "Mario Bros Plumbing Shop, Brooklyn, New York, USA." Luigi stumbled back a step, as if something had hit him in the face. He stared at the girl, shocked beyond belief. "Although..." She said, dragging out the word. Luigi felt a brief pang of panic, thinking the girl was going to change her mind. "I think my master might have sent you here for a reason. He doesn't send anyone anywhere, unless he needs to protect them, or if they can do something for the world he sends them to." She looked at Luigi for a moment. "I doubt you'd need protecting. So. What could you do for this world? Have you done anything yet?"

"Um... I've been remodelling the inn. I... kept Zelda and Nerra company until they had to leave. Other than that..."

"I doubt my master would send you just to keep someone company. There's gotta be something bigger. Maybe that Okami guy who was with you was involved? He doesn't feel like most elves. Or maybe..." She turned, and looked in the direction of the ocean. "Something big..." She turned back to Luigi, smiling widely, showing off all of her sharp teeth. "You're gonna be a hero!" She gasped. "There's a dark, evil energy here. I think you have to stop it!"

"I... do?"

"That's right. As soon as you do, I can take you home!" Without another word, merely a wave, she disappeared, leaving Luigi alone just outside Clock Town. The bells from the Clock Tower rang twice. Before, they only rang at dusk and dawn, now they rang on the hour, two rings meant it was two o'clock. Startled by the noise, Luigi entered Clock Town, and headed to the Stock Pott Inn.

--

"So, you left Luigi there." Lakitu said quietly to Adia in the grounds by the Scholars' University.

"Yes, Master." Adia replied, not sure what to make of her master's quiet tone.

"Tell me why."

"Um... I thought you'd sent him there to protect Termina."

"Oh? What made you think that?"

"Well, there was a dark and evil energy there, coming from the ocean. I thought that was why."

"Dark energy?" Lakitu stared at her, his face growing troubled. Adia nodded. Lakitu disappeared, teleporting to Termina. He returned a moment later. "She's still alive." He was muttering. "Good call leaving Luigi there, Adia. I need to see Majora, then the Giants." He disappeared. Adia swayed side to side, thinking for a moment, then teleported.

--

"There you are, Luigi." Anju said when Luigi entered the inn. "Everything's in the kitchen. Could you get started right away? We'll need the kitchen for meals, so please as quick as possible."

"Can it... wait a little while, please?" Luigi said, still thinking about what the girl had said.

"Um... n-not really..."

"Is it about that girl?" Sereng asked him. Luigi simply nodded. "What did she say?"

"Doesn't matter." Luigi replied. "I'm just gonna sit in my room for a bit. I'll get started on the kitchen soon." He walked toward the stairs.

"What girl?" Anju asked Sereng.

"Just a girl we saw outside Clock Town. She wanted to talk to Luigi alone."

"Any idea what she wanted?"

"No. She didn't say a word while I was there." Sereng sighed. "I wonder what happened. I've never seen with such a distant look in his eyes." _He must be planning something. That girl was definitely not from Termina. Her ears stood straighter than an elf's, and she had pointed teeth. She was so pale, too. This is worrying. Should I report to the Master? _"What time is it?" He asked Anju. Anju, looking confused, pointed at the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes past two. Sereng sighed. "I have to be somewhere at three." He told Anju.

--

At three, Sereng approached the guard who had signalled to him earlier. To his surprise, he saw the orange turtle who he had seen with the Master on occasion. As he approached, the two looked at him. The orange turtle talked in rushed voice, then disappeared.

"Sereng." The guard said to him. This shocked Sereng. How did the guard know who he really was?

"Do you know me?" He asked, standing in front of him. "And who was the turtle?"

"Tortoise." The guard corrected him. "He was warning me of a great evil here."

"What evil?" Sereng's mind went straight to Luigi.

"A shapeshifter. She's somewhere near the ocean. You and Luigi have to stop it."

"Is that what the girl was talking to Luigi about?"

"Yes. As soon as Luigi has finished whatever he's doing with the inn, you two should go the beach and see what you can find out."

"I have a different agenda here. I don't intend to follow Luigi while he saves this place."

"You mean the night-winged girl?"

"How did you know??" Sereng gasped. "Who are you?"

"Merely an agent of Lakitu. I know a few things. The girl you seek is on Mobius, with The Hero of Dimensions."

"I must tell the Master!"

"That can wait. You need to help Luigi. My boss insists on it. At a fitting time, show him your true form. He won't attack or fear you, so explain your situation to him. He'll believe you. Then, you have to sort out this shapeshifter."

"Fine. I've found out what I need to know here, so I'm free to do what I wish. I'll help Luigi. Tell your boss." He walked away, leaving Clock Town.

-

He reached the area where he and the Wizrobes had stayed while Lady Nerra investigated the town. The Wizrobes were not there, but something else was. Squatting to pick it up, Sereng opened the box and pulled the cards out. He smiled, remembering the card games he and the Wizrobes had played to pass the time. He chuckled when he remembered how many times he had beaten them. The backs of the cards were facing upwards. Sereng turned them over to see the card faces. The top card was not a card at all; it was a message. Sereng read it;

'If you come here, then we can only assume you've either found Lady Nerra, found out something interesting, or you want to come home. Whichever it is, hold this card to your lips (your form doesn't matter) and whisper the Dark Lord's name. Either Charzli, Renmal, or myself will contact you. Signed, Tarograll.' Sereng sighed, and pressed the card to his lips, closing his eyes.

"Ganondorf." He whispered.

"What is it?" His Master's voice boomed. Sereng opened his eyes, and saw a shimmering image of his Master stood in front of him.

"M-master?" Sereng was shocked. "I thought Charzli or-"

"No matter. What have you found?" Sereng thought for a moment.

"May I start with the least important?"

"If you must." Ganondorf sighed.

"The orange tortoise, the cloud-rider, has come here."

"I know. He has contacts there. What else?"

"The outsider in this world, Luigi, has to save it."

"From what?"

"A shapeshifter."

"Shapeshifter. Right."

"I am going to help him."

"That is fine. Was there anything else?"

"Yes. But, umm... Master... please try to remain calm when I tell you."

"I do not accept orders from an underling. But, I will try to remain calm."

"I..." Sereng suddenly felt like Ganondorf shouldn't know. "I know where Lady Nerra is."

"You do?!" Ganondrof exploded. "Tell me at once! Tell me, Sereng!"

"M-master, please calm yourself!" Sereng said, panicking. The Dark Lord took a few deep breaths.

"Tell me, Sereng." He said in a calmer voice.

"She is in a world known as Mobius, with someone called The Hero of Dimensions."

"Mobius? With Link? Very well. Thank you, Sereng. I am very grateful to you. When you return, I will have you rewarded."

"Thank you, Master."

"Farewell, Sereng."

"Fortune be with you, Master." Sereng bowed his head, and the image of Ganondorf disappeared. Sereng sighed, and fell to his knees. He was weak with joy of being able to see his Master again, and being thanked and promised reward by his Master. After taking a moment or two recover from all of this, Sereng got to his elfin feet, and walked back to Clock Town. He took the walk slowly, wanting to enjoy the elfin body as much as possible. He had a feeling that he may need to use it more often, and if a different way to usual.

--

Luigi had, miraculously, refitted over half of the kitchen by the time Sereng arrived back at the inn. Anju was already using the half that was complete to make a small meal. Luigi himself was upstairs, according to Kafei, and he seemed concerned about something. Sereng thanked him, and walked upstairs to his room.

"Luigi." Sereng called as he knocked. He walked inside, and saw Luigi sat at the desk, scribbling on some paper. "Luigi, I must speak with you."

"Not now, Okami." Luigi sighed, lightly crossing out something on the paper. "I'm not in the mood."

"You're worrying about what the girl said to you, aren't you?" Sereng asked, knowing this to be the case. Luigi gave the faintest of nods. "You don't have anything to worry about, Luigi."

"Do you even know what she asked me to do?" Luigi asked, almost yelling. Sereng smiled and nodded. "She- you do?" This took the wind from Luigi's sails. He slumped in his chair, head hanging. "How am I supposed to do something like that?"

"Your brother is a great hero, Luigi. Brothers have many things in common. I'm sure you have some hero inside you, too."

"Yeah, right." Luigi snorted. "I've never done anything heroic. I cleared out a mansion full of ghosts. Sure, one of them was King Boo in a Bowser robot, but big deal." Sereng raised an eyebrow. "I might have helped Mario defeat Count Bleck, but so did Bowser and Peach. Even then, I only beat up a goon so Mario could get to Bleck, and take all the credit as usual."

"You understate yourself, Luigi. You have the potential. Here in Termina is where you realise it."

"You overstate me, Okami." Luigi kicked the table. "And besides that, it was a _little girl_ who asked me to do it. How can I be sure she's telling the truth?"

"Do you know of a Lakitu?" Sereng asked him. Luigi twitched.

"Yes. He brought Zelda and Nerra here a while back. Took them home, too, I think."

"Lakitu wants me to help you defeat this shapeshifter."

"He does?" Luigi looked at him. "How can you help, though? You can't even keep up with me when I jog."

"You were _jogging?!_" Sereng was shocked. "Well, it'd be easier for me to keep up with you in my normal form."

"Normal form?" Luigi asked, moustache twitching.

"Try not to be alarmed." Sereng said, taking off the Elfin Armlet. As soon as it dropped to the floor, Sereng's body transformed into his Moblin form. He looked at Luigi, expecting the outsider to be trembling, or dashing for the door, or preparing to attack. Luigi simply sat in the chair, lazily staring at Sereng. "This is what I am. A Moblin, servant of Ganondorf."

"Indeed." Luigi replied. "And you're gonna help me beat this shapeshifter?" Sereng nodded. "Well, you look strong enough. So tell me, servant of Ganondorf, why did you come here?"

"I was looking for Lady Nerra. I know now where she is. My mission is over, and I am free to do as I wish. I wish to help you."

"Fair enough." Luigi turned back to his scribbling.

"So... what're you writing?" Sereng asked, somewhat perplexed by Luigi's laid-back attitude.

"Just a list of things to do. I was adding 'kill shapeshifter', but that goes without saying, so I crossed it out." Sereng simply nodded at this. "First, I finish the kitchen. The doors can be done in a jiffy, but the beds won't be here for a few days. The lighting can be done while they're waiting. Fancy lending me a hand, Okami?"

"My name is Sereng."

"You're listed in the guest list as Okami."

"Fine. As an elf, call me Okami. As a Moblin, call me Sereng."

"Okay."

**Adia**

Adia grinned at the young woman stood before her. She was a human, with shoulder-length ginger hair, tied up on the side of her head. Aged between 18 and 25, she wore a sleeveless yellow crop-top, denim short shorts, held up with braces (which, for some reason, she chose to wear over her crop top), and red trainers.

"So, you'll help me out?" Adia asked the young woman.

"What exactly do I have to do?" The woman asked, shifting her small red shoulder bag.

"Just keep an eye out for weird things here, and let me know."

"How do I do that?"

"Hmm..." Adia swayed from side to side for a moment. "Here. Hand me that thing on your wrist." The woman handed it to her. "Just give it a little..." The hand Adia held it glowed a bright blue. "Then a little..." She placed her other hand over it, glowing green. "And then..." Both hands flashed a purple. "Done. You'll find my number in there. It'll reach me wherever I am."

"Okay, cool. Anything happens, I'll let you know, Boss." She grinned. "Is Boss okay?"

"Works for me." Adia grinned back, flashing her pointed teeth. "See you later, Misty." She waved, then teleported.

-

Adia appeared in another world, and looked around. She stood next to a small mountain, which was easy to ascend owing to a path circling it, as though mountain itself was twisted, creating the path. A witch-shaped head decorated the opposing cliff-face, while a large hole decorated another.

"Hmm... who should I get?" She wondered, ignoring the bear that flew over her head aided by a bird in its backpack. "Someone from here... but contact or agent? Or should I get both?" She sighed. "I don't even get why I'm doing this, but... oh well." She approached a creature. It stood on two legs, and had two arms. Its body was pink, it wore a pair brown-ish short-like garments, and carried a brown stick with a skull-shaped end. On its' head (or was it actually its' head) was a skull of the same colour as its lower garments. "Excuse me." She said to it as it walked toward the house; the only house in this area. She jogged over to it. "Excuse me! Hi, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Moment only. Late for cards." The thing said in a deep, rumbling voice.

"It'll only take a moment. My name's Adia. I'm sort of... a watcher. I watch lots of different worlds, and make sure everything's okay."

"You saying you God?"

"No, not a God. Just someone who's keeping watch. It's hard to explain."

"You watcher of worlds. Caretaker of Universe."

"Yes, that would describe it. I noticed that you seem to be a powerful person, with quite a bit of influence here. What's your name?"

"Mumbo Jumbo. Me shaman."

"Oh, good. You'll be perfect. See, I can't watch everywhere at once. I'll need some people in each world keeping an eye on things."

"You asking Mumbo?"

"If you'd be so kind. Anything unusual, tell me. Can you telepath?"

"Adia show Mumbo how."

"Okay, no problem." She closed her eyes, and pressed a fingertip against Mumbo's forehead. "See?"

"Mumbo see. Mumbo call Adia when see something strange."

"Good. But, keep it quiet. Don't go telling everyone that the caretaker of the universe has asked you for help." She smiled.

"Of course. Mumbo keep secret. Adia Mumbo's Boss. Mumbo do as told."

"Good. Now, I need to find an agent..."

"Mumbo not agent?"

"No, you're my contact. You just let me know if anything strange happens. My agent will sort them out if I'm too busy. You're welcome to help the agent, of course."

"Why not Mumbo be both?" Mumbo offered.

"I don't want to take up all of your time. Watching the _whole world_ will be a tough job, without having to sort it, too. It's better I get someone else."

"Mumbo understand. Go to card game now."

"Okay, off you go. Before you do, any ideas who I can get?"

"Banjo maybe good. He hero here."

"Oh? Cool. Where does he live?"

"In house there." Mumbo pointed to the house he had been running to. "Banjo help. You asking him be like every day job for him."

"If you insist. Let's go see Banjo. Is anyone else there?"

"No. Bottles and Jamjars come later. Mumbo early, practise with Banjo." He started walking toward the house, and Adia followed. It was a short walk. Mumbo knocked on the door once, then walked inside, with Adia a step behind.

"Oh, Mumbo." The bear, which Adia had seen flying overhead earlier, said in a thick voice. "Early as always. Have a seat."

"Eager for a trouncing, bone-head?" The bird, which still sat in the backpack, which now hung on a hat stand, said cheekily. It was clearly female.

"Mumbo bring someone. This Adia." He pointed at Adia, who waved. "Adia need agent. Mumbo say Banjo good."

"An agent?" Banjo asked. "What would I need to do?" Adia explained to him what she had told Mumbo; about how she watched the worlds, with the help of some of the residents. Mumbo was to watch this world, and Banjo would be the one to fix problems if Adia couldn't make it. "I see."

"Why do you need us?" The bird asked. "Too lazy to do it yourself, ghostie?"

"What? No." Adia replied. "I might be busy."

"Sure that's not an excuse, fang-face?"

"Kazooie, that's enough!" Banjo snapped at the bird. "I'd be happy to help you, Adia. If it means protecting my home, I'll do it."

"Fourty doubloons a week." Kazooie chimed. "So I can get drunk at Jolly Roger's Lagoon."

"Kazooie!" Banjo snapped, louder this time. "We don't need paying, Adia. It's fine."

"That's good." Adia sighed. "Keep this secret, okay? That goes double for you, Kazooie. That beaks utters one syllable about this, and I'll have your feathers for a scarf." Adia knew that Kazooie wasn't very good at keeping secrets.

"Looks like you need one, twiggy." The bird replied. Adia scowled, but said nothing further.

"Mumbo call Adia Boss. Banjo and worm-breath call her same." Mumbo said to the two, glaring at Kazooie.

"Fine by me." Banjo agreed. "Kazooie?"

"I'll call her what I like." She said, turning her head away. "But... since I am working for her, I'll _might_ say 'Boss' occasionally. That good enough for you?"

"Fine by me, chicken-legs." Adia told the bird. Kazooie grinned.

"Then it's settled. Don't you have other places to go, powder-skin?"

"Indeed I do. See you all again sometime. Keep an eye on that beak, feather-butt." She teleported away, Kazooie's chuckling following her.

--

The next world hadn't been quite so receptive. The beings there, all two-legged earth animals, were extremely wary of Adia. It wasn't until she was taken to the local law enforcement that she met with someone a little more open-minded.

"Watcher of the Worlds, eh?" The man said, smirking. This man was a two-legged wolf called, oddly enough, Wolf. Wolf O'Donell.

"Y-yes..." Adia sighed. This wolf also happened to be the Chief she had been sent to see.

"Sounds interesting. Can you prove to me that you are a being from a different world?"

"Like making fire in my hand?" She did so. "Or moving instantly to somewhere else?" She teleported from the chair to the door, her handcuffs clanking to the floor in front of the chair. "Will that do?"

"It suits me fine." Wolf said, looking shocked. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just watch. Anything out of the ordinary happens, let me know. I'm... kinda new to this Universal Caretaker thing, so I'm not sure what to do, precisely. But I do know that I need contacts and agents. You're a contact."

"Then, my team can be your agents. Would you be willing to pay us?"

"I... could, I suppose." Adia said reluctantly. She could create the currency of this place, but didn't like the idea of doing that. It felt like theft, and fraud.

"Okay. I'll only ask for money when we really need it, okay? I'm guessing you could just make some, but you don't want to." Adia nodded. "That's fine. How do I contact you?"

"Here." She approached Wolf. "Let me see your comm-device thingy." Wolf handed it to her. "Let's see... like with Misty's wizbanger..." She did what she had done with Misty's wrist-device. "There. I'm listed as a contact there. You can call me using that."

"Alright. I'll tell the boys."

"But no-one else. Keep it secret, okay?"

"Of course." Wolf replied.

"And... You don't have to, but everyone else is..."

"What is it?"

"They all seem to be calling me 'Boss'." Adia blushed a little. Wolf laughed loudly.

"Boss it is, then." He grinned, then saluted. "See you next time, Boss." Adia returned the salute, then teleported away.

--

Her final destination for the day was Earth. She chose a normal-looking girl by the name of Isabel Larson to be her contact. She was surprisingly eager to accept the role. Earth was hardly likely to have any serious issues, Adia had thought, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone. Isabel was aware that it was unlikely for anything to happen. Adia enabled her cellphone to contact her, then pondered about an agent. Isabel, like most humans, tested the new number first.

_Hello?_ Adia replied, in her mind.

"Adia?" Isabel asked.

_Yes. _

"Weird. Adia's right next to me, but she's not got a cell, or even talking. You sure this is right?"

_I'm going to poke you for your lack of faith._ Adia said, poking Isabel on the forehead.

"Okay, I'm sold. Just curious." She hung up. "That was cool." She said, grinning.

"Thank you." Adia smiled.

--

Adia decided she had just enough time to see one last person. A person she knew could be the agent for Earth, whenever he was there. She teleported to the room where he was currently staying, surprising the man, and his friend. She grinned at the two.

"Hi again." She said sweetly. "Just needed a quick word. Got a minute, Luigi?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Link and Nerra**

"So, there's a Chaos Emerald here?" Link asked, looking around. They stood outside a small temple in a forest clearing. There was a large set of stairs, leading to an entrance at the top of the temple.

"Yup." Tails, next to him, replied. "In there, somewhere."

"You're sure?"

"My tracker's never wrong. Plus, I put it there myself."

"When?"

"Few years back. Can't remember why, though."

"Typical." Link said, then turned around. Nerra was huffing and puffing, struggling to catch up. The effort she was putting up was evident on her face. She finally reached the pair, and collapsed to her knees. "You okay?" Link asked.

"Nooo..." Nerra whined, her wings drooping. "Why'd you run so fast?"

"Tails did the running, and I had to keep up." Link explained, though he and Tails had actually started running at the same time.

"Good job I could sense where you were." Nerra said, her breathing easing. "Otherwise I might've got lost."

"Sorry, Nerra." Link said, squatting in front of her and patting her on the shoulder. "But, I had to keep up with Tails."

"I know." Nerra moaned. "It's okay, Link." She looked at the temple. "Is it in there?"

"Yup." Tails replied.

"Oh. I could sense something from it, but I wasn't sure what it was." Nerra said, grunting as she got to her feet. "My legs feel like jelly."

"Want me to carry you?" Link offered. Nerra blushed.

"N-no, thank you." She said quickly, raising her hands as if to keep him away. "I can use my wings to float. I'll fly until me legs feel better."

"Couldn't you have flown to keep up with us?" Tails asked. "Flying's quicker than walking."

"And risk smashing into trees?" Nerra snorted as she lifted from the ground. "No thanks." She flapped her night-black wings, and flew over to the stairs leading up the entrance of the shrine. "C'mon, guys." She called back. Link and Tails shrugged, and followed.

"Just be careful, Link." Tails warned the elf as they approached the temple. "The Chaos Emeralds can protect themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if this one has competely changed the layout of the temple since I last came here."

"They can do that?" Link was surprised. Tails nodded.

"If they spend long enough in one place, they alter that place to hide and protect themselves." They quickly ascended the steps, and walked up to the impatient Nerra.

"C'mon, guys. Let's get this emerald and go home. This place is creeping me out." She grabbed Link's arm and dragged him inside.

"W-why's it creeping you out?" He asked her.

"I dunno. It's this weird energy. It just freaks me, okay?" She released his arm.

"Alright." Link said, letting the subject drop. He looked around at the temple's interior. Somehow, despite the entrance being at the top of the stairs, at the top of the temple, they appeared to be in the centre. There were many floors above them, and many below. "How'd this happen?" Link asked.

"Easy." Tails said, joining them. "The Chaos Emerald warped us to this spot, in the middle of the temple."

"But I can still see the outside." Link said, pointing behind him.

"Portal." Tails shrugged. He checked his tracker. "I can't get a lock on the emerald. This whole temple resonates with emerald energy." He sighed. "Right, one of us has to go one way, and two of us the other."

"I'm going up top." Nerra told them. "Tails, go with Link."

"Shouldn't one of us go with you?"

"Not really. I can fly out if there's trouble. Link can't. You'll need to help him."

"Why don't you go with Link?" Tails asked her, cocking an eyebrow. Nerra blushed.

"B-because!" She snapped, taking to the air. She flew up to a ledge a floor above them, then disappeared behind a door. Tails and Link sighed in unison.

"She likes you." Tails said, elbowing Link in the side.

"Poor girl." Link groaned. "I'm engaged."

"Uh-oh. Bad news for Nerra." Tails chuckled. "She'll get over it. She'll probably forget all about you when she goes to another world."

"What? How so?"

"Hm? Oh, never mind. C'mon, let's get going." He pointed to some stairs heading down. The floor they currently stood on was just one ledge with two stairs; one leading to the ledge Nerra had flown to, and one leading down. Link lead the way, walking down the stairs, and along a corridor. Tails stared at the walls, as glowing green lines shot along them at random intervals, making some obscure shapes. Link didn't recognise any of the shapes, but it seemed that Tails did, as he gasped softly every time a new shape was drawn, sometimes muttering 'that's interesting'. After five minutes of Tails' constant mutterings, Link stopped in his tracks.

"Alright, what's so fascinating?" He asked Tails.

"Huh? Nothing."

"Yeah, right. You've been staring at these walls for the past five minutes, talking to yourself. What's the big deal?"

"Just the shapes. I've seen them before, that's all."

"Well, what are they?"

"Most of the shapes form into Chaos, Tikal or some chao."

"Some... what now?"

"I didn't think you'd know. Chaos was a beast who was trapped in the Master Emerald. Tikal was the one who kept it there, and the chao are small creatures that Chaos protected."

"Right. So, it's the Master Emerald in here?"

"Of course not." Tails snorted. "The Master Emerald is on the Floating Island, where it's always been."

"Okay... so, why is a normal emerald drawing these shapes?"

"All the emeralds are closely linked, especially to the Master Emerald. It has its name for a reason. But what's most intriguing is that some of the shapes drawn are us. Sonic, Shadow and the rest of the guys. One or two of them even looked like you and Nerra. Even Lakitu appeared once. Ah! There. That's Nerra, see?" Tails pointed to a bundle of green lines that were drawing a shape. Link bent down to look.

"Hey, it is." Link breathed. The shapes only just resembled Nerra, but there was no mistaking the wings. The lines then fanned out, and shot to another part of the wall, where they drew Link. Then, to Links' surprise, they drew Ganondorf.

"I don't recognise that." Tails said. "Do you know him?"

"That's Ganondorf." Link told him. "He's the Dark Lord from Hyrule."

"A bad guy?"

"Not any more. Still the Dark Lord, but he's on our side."

"How can he be if he's dark?" Tails asked, confused. Link stared at him, then sighed. "What? If he's dark, he must be bad, right?"

"No, Tails." Link shook his head. "You don't get it."

"Explain, then."

"Dark and evil are not the same thing, Tails. For example, magic. Say there's light and dark magic. Dark magic can still be used for good, and light magic can be used for evil. There's a huge difference between dark and evil, Tails. Huge. Don't assume that everything aligned to the dark is evil. You won't get far."

"So you say. But, do you know any dark creatures that aren't evil?"

"Ganondorf." Link replied instantly. "Impa. Majora's Mask. Even my friend Skull Kid is aligned to the dark." He frowned, then turned and walked to the door. Tails stared after him, still not sure what to make of what he had just been told. After a moment of thought, he jogged after Link. "Hey, Tails?" Link's voice called from up ahead.

"Yeah?" Tails answered.

"Do Chaos Emeralds usually make monsters?"

"What?" Tails was confused. He caught up to Link in a large room, and understood instantly. Towering before them was a snake-like creature, but it was made of red crystal. "Oh, it's the red emerald here? I'm sure I put the yellow one here."

"Well, either you forgot, or someone switched them." Link told him.

"Or the emerald is trying to confuse us. Or there's two here."

"Well, I think we'll have to beat this thing first. Am I right?"

"Spot on, Link. This creature's supposed to keep us out, so you'll have to."

"What about you?"

"I suppose I could help, but I'd probably get in the way." Tails stepped back to the doorway. "If it gets bad, I'll try to help, okay?"

"Gee, thanks."

"You're supposed to be the hero, Link. Surely you're a better fighter than me."

"You never know." Link replied, then sighed. "Wish me luck." With that, he dashed at the red crystal snake, drawing his sword. The snake reared its head back, and hissed. Its hiss sounded like resonating crystals. It snapped its head at Link, attempting to bite him. Link leapt to one side, then jumped in the air, narrowly avoiding the snake's swiping tail. Link landed, and dashed to the snake again, sword ready to strike. With an impossible twist of its body, the crystal snake turned to face him, its body well out of the way of any attack. Link scowled, and hopped back several paces. The snake leered at him, daring him to attack again.

_If only I had that Fire Flower._ Link grumbled. _Or some Power Stars and those hammers. This fight'd be alot easier._ He ran to the side to avoid another bite from the snake. The snake swept its head to one side, trying to hit Link. Link leapt, landing on the snakes' head. He jabbed his sword at the snakes' shining skin. Just before the sword impacted, the snake reared its head with another resonating hiss, throwing Link across the room. _This things' too fast for me. Especially since I've only got a sword. What am I supposed to do? Malon's Maiden power would sure help here._ Link ran at the snake again, readying another swing. Again, the snakes' body twisted in a way that didn't seem possible, and its body was out of reach. Only its chest remained in Links' range, but Link knew that going for that was suicide. He stopped, and side-stepped another attack. He planned to slash the snake while it's head was down. This didn't work, however, as upon slamming its head into the ground, the snake kicked up large chunks of rock, one of which knocked Link back a considerable distance.

"DAMMIT!" Link cursed, kicking a rock. "Rock?" Link lifted a larger stone, one the size of his hand. "Could work." He shrugged. He threw the rock at the snake. It ate it. "Guess not." Link sighed. He picked up another rock, however, then ran at the snake once more, sword ready. As expected, the snake twisted its body, moving itself out of his sword range. Link threw the rock at the snakes' face. It promptly swallowed the rock, but gave Link a small opportunity to attack. He slammed his sword into the snakes' body as hard as he could. Small shards of the snakes' crystalline body flew across the room. The snake hissed, then knocked Link back with its tail. The hole in its body grew back.

"Link!" Tails' voice called. He was sat in the doorway, holding a small hand-held device. Link wondered where he had got it. "It transforms rock into crystal! Don't let it eat any more!" Link didn't get to answer, as the snake attacked again.

_Where are you, Link?_ Malons' voice sounded in his head. _Eraf's spell was supposed to put me next to you!_

_Malon! _Link felt so relieved. And powerful. _Maiden._ He sighed. Glaring at the snake, Link saw the way to defeat it. So simple, he was surprised he needed Maiden Power to figure it out. Then again, no-one would particularly _want_ to do it this way. Link charged at the snake again. It opened its jaws, and snapped its head at him. Link turned his sword sideways, so the flate side would hit instead of the edge. Moments before the snake bit him, Link smashed his sword into the snake's lower jaw. It broke off easily. Link then leapt inside the snake's open mouth, and ran along the inside of its body. After a moment, he found a red crystal the size of his head, connected to the inside of the snake by strands of red crystal. Hefting his blade, Link smashed the crystal to pieces. A howl from outside told Link that the snake was dying. Once the crystal was shattered, the snake fell to the ground and crumbled. Link stood among the shards, and sheathed his sword.

"Nice job." Tails said as he approached. "It's definitely the yellow emerald in here, Link. Why the snake was red, I've no idea. It was either to confuse us, or someone put it here."

"Eo." Link told him. "Had to be." He sighed, and walked toward the door to the next area. "Moving on."

"Moving on." Tails said, following Link.

--

Nerra looked around the room, wondering where to begin.

"Let's see..." She muttered to herself. "A corridor with no door, a door, a door guarded by a monster, and a ladder going up. Which way?" She approached the monster, why was a yellow crystaline wolf. "Which way, wolf?" She asked it.

"You would ask me, the guardian?" It snorted. "I am here to stop you, not help you."

"Aww... please?"

"I cannot. I must prevent the emerald from falling into the wrong hands."

"But my hands are the _right_ hands."

"I have no proof of this. I must be cautious."

"I understand." Nerra sighed, patting its head. "But I still have to find it."

_The door. _A voice muttered in her head. _Go through the door, up the second flight of stairs, then up the ladder, then defeat my brother. After that, ascend the stairs. _

"Thank you, wolf." Nerra said, grinning. She didn't know how she had heard the wolf's thoughts, or how she knew they were the wolf's.

"For what?"

"Showing me the way." Nerra chuckled, then walked through the door.

"How did-? How? I didn't-" The wolf spluttered. "Night Winged Nerra." It growled. "Of course. How did she escape?"

"Master let her out." A female voice said nearby. The wolf turned its head.

"White Witch." It said to her. "Why would your master release Night Wing?"

"His reasons are his own." Adia replied, grinning. Her pointed teeth glimmered in the glow of the walls. "Don't worry, his reasons are good."

"The Cloud-rider commits questionable acts on regular occasion. However, his word is to be trusted." It stared at Adia for a moment. "Do you not wonder how I know of you and your master?"

"Not really." Adia said, swaying side to side. "It's no surprise, since the emeralds see and know most everything."

"Indeed. Cloud-rider has taught you well, White Witch."

"One thing, though."

"Yes?"

"Why're you calling me White Witch?"

"The worlds gave you that title. It seems they have a sense of humour. It is because you are, of course, a witch - a powerful magic user. Also, because you are so pale."

"Heh. White Witch it is, then." She stopped swaying, and cocked her head to one side. "Think Master knows my title?"

"He most likely does."

"Oh well. I wanted to surprise him by telling him."

"The Cloud-Rider has many years behind him. A great many years. Not once, in any of those years, has he been surprised." The wolf seemed to grin. Then, its face grew pensive. "Am I to trust Night Winged Nerra?"

"There is a lengthy explanation involving why, but yes. She can be trusted."

"Very well. I will inform my brother." It closed its eyes, sending a telepathic message. When it opened them again, Adia was gone. The wolf snorted. "Just like her master."

--

Link and Tails stood inside the entrance to the temple, waiting for Nerra. They had not found the emerald on any of the lower floors. Link was quite battered and bruised from fighting various crystal-monsters, and even Tails was nursing a few cuts.

"Hope Nerra finds it-" Link began. He was interrupted by a whistling sound. Something falling. "I think she did." As he said that, Nerra soared into view, plummeting from above.

"I got it!!" She cried happily. "Easy-peasy! The guardian just let me past!"

"Lucky you." Link said lightly, trying not to show his annoyance.

"Link, are you okay?" Nerra asked as she landed in front of him. "You're all beat up."

"A lotta crystal-like monsters." Link replied. "I just wanna go back to the others now."

"Want me to carry you?"

"No, I'm fine." He told her, turning to the entrance. "Let's go, Tails." He and the two-tailed fox walked out, leaving Nerra a little peeved. She followed them quietly. When she stepped outside, she saw Link still stood at the top of the stairs. Tails was already half-way down. "I told him I needed to rest for a minute. He's trying to get a signal on his communicator so he can call Sonic."

"Oh."

"Hey, Nerra."

"Yes?"

"Well done." Link patted her on the shoulder. "I dunno why I didn't say it back there, but I'm saying it now. At the risk of sounding like a doting father, I'm proud of you."

"Aww, thank you!" Nerra beamed, grinning like a fool. "That means alot."

"I'm glad. C'mon, let's go." He started descending the stairs.

"Link!" Nerra called. Link turned to face her. "Are you... free tomorrow? You know, so we can... go to town? Together?" She blushed. Link smiled at her sadly. _Why is he smiling like that?_

"As friends?" He asked.

"Um... maybe."

"I'm spoken for, Nerra. Sorry. I'll go to town with you as friends, but nothing more."

"Oh..." Nerra sighed.

"I really am sorry, Nerra. Besides, what about Ganondorf?"

"Who?"

"Ganondorf? You know... your master? The Dark Lord? He's been looking for you for a long time. He asked me about you a while ago. I never really got a chance to mention it before."

"I... don't know who Ganondorf is."

"You don't?" Link stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, he knows you. It's obvious to me that he's smitten with you."

"He is? But I don't know anyone called Ganondorf..."

"Hm. I'll ask Lakitu about it." Link told her. He turned to walk down the stairs. Nerra flew over to him, and hovered above him. She held herself upside-down, facing him.

"I really don't know him, Link. It must be a different Nerra." She flew toward Tails, and handed him the yellow Chaos Emerald

"Linky!" A female voice called from behind Link. Link turned, and saw Adia stood by the temple entrance, swaying side to side. "C'mere, c'mere." She waved a hand at him. Link jogged up the stairs.

"Please don't call me Linky." He muttered to her. "What's up?"

"Just checking on you." She grinned.

"I gotta ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Nerra doesn't remember Ganondorf. Why?"

"Easy. She loses her memory every time she goes to a new world. When she goes to Hyrule again, she'll remember him."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Adia assured him. "Say, Link?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know people call my master 'Cloud-rider'?"

"I've heard him being called that."

"How come you don't?"

"As far as I'm aware, he's Lakitu." Link shrugged.

"So, even if people called me something else, you'd still call me Adia?"

"Of course. Unless you wanted me to call you something else."

"Oh, that's good." She smiled. "Keep calling me Adia, Link. No matter what other people call me."

"What've they called you?" Link asked.

"Huh? How'd you know someone has-?"

"It's obvious, Adia. Tell me."

"Well... Cloud-rider is my masters 'title'. Just like you're the Hero of Dimensions, or Dimension Hero."

"You've got a title now? What is it?"

"White Witch."

"White Witch? Why that?"

"Because I'm really pale, and good at magic."

"Oh, I get it." Link grinned. "Suits you."

"You think?" Adia looked up at him. "Well, I don't mind it, or who calls me it, as long as _you_ keep calling me Adia."

"Don't worry, I will." Link told her. Then, he frowned in thought. "Why me? What's so special about me?"

"Um! N-nothing!" Adia gasped, blushing. Link groaned.

_Not another one._ He thought.

"It's because, um... You feel like a big brother to me. It's wouldn't be right for a big brother to call his little sister by her title, right?"

"I guess." Link sighed. "No worries, Adia. Anyway, I'd best get back to Tails before-" He turned, and stopped. Tails and Nerra were gone. So were the stairs he had been stood on. He turned back to Adia, and saw that the temple entrance had also gone. He was at the Rock. "Adia, why am I here?" He asked her.

"I just wanted to talk in private. You've been here ever since you walked up to me." Adia mumbled sadly. staring at her feet. "I'm sorry, Link."

"It's okay, I guess." Link told her.

"No, it's not." She looked up at him. "I should've asked."

"It's fine."

"If you say so." Adia sighed. Then, Link pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Stop moping." He said. "I don't mind, as long as you take me back, okay?"

" 'kay." Adia whispered, returning the hug. "Thank you, Link."

"No problem, sis." Link grinned.

"I'd better take you back now. I have to meet Master soon." With a flash and a whirl so scenery, Link and Adia returned to the temple. She let go of him, and took a step back. "Talk to you again, Link." She then waved and disappeared. Link sighed, then turned and walked down the steps. A moment later, Nerra shot out of the temple, flying straight toward him.

"Link!" She howled, landing in front of him. "Where'd you go?! I've looked all over the temple for you!"

"Sorry, sorry. Had to uh... go see someone. Where's Tails?"

"He had to rush back to the house. Sounded important."

"We should get going, then." Link turned, and walked back into the forest. Nerra followed closely behind him.

--

"Link, it's about time you showed up." Knuckles said as Link and Nerra walked into the house.

"Something wrong?" Link asked.

"That creature showed up again. It spoke."

"Spoke?"

"Yeah. It never said a word before. This time, it barely shut up."

"What did it talk about? What did it say?"

"All sorts of rubbish. Bragging about its own power, making fun of our weakness, claiming this world for its own. It was weird."

"Very weird." Link agreed.

"The others are in the dining room, with Lakitu. They're talking about it. You should join them."

"Yeah. Let's go." He, Nerra and Knuckles walked into the dining room.

"Link, Nerra. Excellent." Lakitu said from the table. Adia, sat next to him, waved at Link. Link waved back. "We need everyone here. Knuckles told you what this all about?"

"Yeah, the creature." Link replied. "It talked, claiming this world as its own."

"Yes, that's right." Lakitu sighed. "Take a seat." Link and Nerra did so. "Does his proclomation remind you of anyone?"

"Eo." Link said simply. "He wanted to rule the worlds, too." Lakitu nodded, his expression grave.

"I think," Adia spoke up. "That Eo's controlling the Quetzalcoatl. Why else would it sat such a thing?"

"You may be right." Lakitu told his student. "If that's true, then Link and Nerra may have their work cut out for them."

"What d'you mean?" Link asked.

"Nerra was sent here to get rid of the Quetzalcoatl. You were sent to fight Eo. If Eo and the Quetzalcoatl are working together, then it means big trouble."

"It seems a bit convenient, though." Adia mumbled. Everyone looked at her.

"What d'you mean?"

"Well... the Quetzalcoatl shows up here, destroying stuff. Then Eo appears here, too. Next, the Quetzalcoatl is saying the same sort of thing that Eo would."

"Are you suggesting," Lakitu gasped, "That Eo put the Quetzalcoatl here on purpose?" He paled.

"Can Eo possess people?" Shadow asked Lakitu.

"It's well within his capabilities." Lakitu answered.

"So..." Sonic groaned. "Eo could have possessed the Quetzalcoatl, and is making it do his bidding."

"That'll explain why it fell from the sky." Mighty pointed out.

"It fell?" Lakitu asked.

"Yeah." Sonic replied. "It fell down mid-attack. Then it got up and flew away."

"Eo must have removed its soul, then possessed it." Adia said. "It's possible. Right, Master?"

"It is." Lakitu sighed.

"I heard it say something funny." Charmy said suddenly.

"What did it say?" Lakitu asked, though he doubted that the bee would say anything useful.

"I was flying near it when it talked. It mumbled something to itself."

"What did it say?" Lakitu repeated.

"Um... lemme remember." Charmy closed his eyes. "It said... 'This Quezacotl is perfect for my needs. If my brother finds Quetzalcoatl, then that would be so perfect'. Yeah, it said that."

"So it's not Quetzalcoatl?" Adia's eyes widened.

"Quezacotl..." Lakitu groaned. "Quetzalcoatls' sister. If the other half of Eo does indeed find Quetzalcoatl, then it spells trouble."

"Why's that?" Nerra asked.

"Quezacotl and Quetzalcoatl are the Lords of the Morning and Evening Stars. Together, their powers are incredible. Possibly even a match for Nerra."

"Me? I don't have any power."

"You will do, believe me."

"Master, nothing's a match for Nerra." Adia reminded him. "Remember? At full strength..."

"But she won't be. Not here. It has been designed that she will never achieve her true power. The consequences of that... if she used them for bad purposes..."

"I wouldn't!" Nerra snapped. "I'd never use any power for bad things!"

"Not in this world, Nerra." Adia told her.

"What d'you mean?"

"Never mind, Nerra." Lakitu said, glaring at Adia. "You'll never reach your full strength anyway." He sighed, and massaged his temples. "I'll have to start preparing you soon."

"For what?"

"To fight Quezacotl. Link, you and the others need to hurry and find the rest of the Chaos Emeralds."

"Alright." Link agreed.

"This could change a great deal." Lakitu said to Adia.

"But... the plan..." Adia muttered to her master. "How can we..."

"Let's not discuss that here."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Mitrea**

Deep under the ocean, in a sunken building, a force was stirring. It was powerful, and angry. It opened its eyes, taking in its surroundings.

"Termina..." The being muttered, remembering. "The sunken prison." It sighed, and sat up. Looking at itself, it grimaced. "I've taken this form in my sleep? Why would I do that?" Shaking its head, it morphed its shape into that of a female elf. "Much better." She had flowing red hair, soft green eyes, and gentle features. "Oh, I keep forgetting to morph myself clothes!" She hissed. This was quickly rectified. She gave herself a leather skirt, boots, and a short top. "How long have I been here?" She asked herself, getting to her feet. "Is Master looking for me? Is that why I'm awake?" She thought back, to the last time she had seen her master.

­­

-

_"Mitrea!" Her master yelled. They stood in the middle of a battlefield. The shapeshifter quickly took her elfish form, having been in the form of a tiger-like creature, and dashed to him._

_"Yes, Master?" She asked._

_"Our defeat is imminent." Her master sighed. "I don't know how, but they have managed to become stronger than my current power. We cannot win."_

_"But, Master! We can't give up!"_

_"No, Mitrea. We are not giving up. This is merely a tactical retreat. They will imprison us both. One day, I will escape, and return for you. Then, we will have our revenge. Worry not. Soon all shall be ours."_

_"As... as you say, Master." She sighed. _

_"Mitrea..." Her master placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust in me. We will have our day. I swear it." Mitrea felt tears forming in her eyes._

_"I... I do trust in you, Master." She whimpered. A moment later, their enemies descended upon them._

_"Scholars." Her master greeted them. "Are you here to witness my moment of triumph?" He refused to admit defeat._

_"We will seal you away, Eo." One of the Scholars said. "For the good of the worlds."_

_"You believe you have the power?"_

_"We do. Both you and your minion will be sealed away." The Scholars behind him started drawing runes._

_"Ah, runes." Eo sighed. "This is not the end, Scholars. I _will_ return."_

_"Not from this prison." The Scholar said. A portal opened, and Eo was quickly sucked inside._

_"I will come back for you, Mitrea!" He called as the portal closed._

_"And now the shapeshifter." The Scholar grinned. "Mitrea, was it? What an odd name."_

_"St-stay back!" Mitrea gasped, backing away. The Scholar advanced on her. "Please, stay back!"_

_"You will be sealed, Mitrea. For the good of the worlds."_

_"Please, don't!" She wailed. The Scholars started drawing the runes again._

_"Your imprisonment will be in a sunken prison on Termina. You will sleep for eternity."_

_"No! No, please, no!" Mitrea fell to her knees in sobs. "Please..." Then, everything went black._

-

Mitrea hugged herself tightly. Those evil Scholars had sent her to sleep, despite her begging. At least her master used his powers so he could unite the worlds, and eliminate the need for war and power struggles. The Scholars simply removed anyone they thought to be a threat.

"But he'll come for me soon." Mitrea told herself. "I'm awake now, so his power must have woken me up." A smile spread across her face. "I'll be with my precious Eo again soon." She stood upright, and looked around the sunken prison. "But first, I must escape from here. I will prepare this world for Masters' takeover, as a gift for his return." However, she saw no door through which she could escape. Luckily, there was a drain of some variety in a corner. She turned into a tiny fish, slipped the bars of the drain, then into a larger fish, and swam through the tunnel.

_I wonder what this world Termina is like?_ She wondered to herself.

**Luigi**

Luigi stood by the shore of Great Bay. He looked out across the ocean. From what he could gather, this evil force was out there, somewhere. He thought to ask some local people if anything strange had happened recently. Luigi had learned of only two people living in this region; the Zora and Bay Pirates. The Zora were a fish-like people, with a very humanoid appearance, but blue, with many similarities to fish, such as fins and gills. The Bay Pirates were a band of all-female pirates, who all had red hair. They also hated men. Luigi felt his best bet would be the Zoras, but they lived somewhere underwater, where he couldn't reach them. He sighed.

"How am I supposed to do this?" He grumbled. Then, he noticed a girl laying on the beach. She was face-down by the waters' edge, the tide pushing gently at her body. Luigi jogged over. "Hey, you okay?" He asked her. She had long red hair, he noticed. "A pirate?" The girl shuddered, then slowly got to her feet. "Hey..." Luigi said quietly, holding a hand ready to support her if she stumbled.

"Who are you?" The girl asked.

"I'm... Luigi."

"Luigi." She replied, somewhat cautiously. "You don't look like an elf. What are you?"

"I'm a human. I was sent to this world a while ago."

"What for?"

"Something about an evil person." Luigi shrugged. "But that doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. Tell me, is there a town near here?"

"Yeah. I work at the inn there. Do you want me to take you there?"

"Please."

"Um... w-what's your name?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" The girl gasped. "I'm sorry. My name is Mitrea."

"That's an interesting name." Luigi noted.

"Well... so's Luigi."

"Hey, no offense. I was just saying."

"Alright. I'm sorry."

"Me, too. Shall we go?"

"Yes, let's." The two walked toward Clock Town.

_I can't believe I passed out._ Mitrea thought to herself. _I must have been asleep a long time. Boy, I'm hungry._

--

"Yes, she'll be staying as my guest." Luigi told Anju.

"I see. Then, you'll be paying for her?" Anju asked.

"Of course."

"Your room?"

"It's the only room with a spare bed."

"Alright." Anju agreed, then walked back up the stairs.

"I'm staying in your room?" Mitrea asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah. Guests share rooms here. There's only two, see. One room used to be like a kind of en-suite for one person, but I've changed it. There's four beds in each room. Most people who stay here are only here for a few days or so."

"Oh. Well... can I see our room?"

"Sure. I'll introduce you to Okami."

"Who?"

"My friend." Luigi started walking toward the stairs, and Mitrea followed him closely.

_It could be me that Luigi was sent here for. After all, I'm Eo's partner. But, how did those Scholars know I was going to wake up?_

**Lakitu**

"Giants." Lakitu addressed the Four Giants. He stood in the same area as all the other times he had spoken to them.

"What brings you, Cloud-rider?" One of them asked. Though they spoke to Lakitu in his language often, Lakitu still felt excited by this.

"The shapeshifter, who was imprisoned in the sunken prison." Lakitu told them.

"She has awoken, yes?"

"She has. My student sensed her dark aura, and informed me."

"The White Witch seems sensitive to auras."

"White Witch?" Lakitu mused. "How perfect for her. How do you know she is sensitive to auras?"

"The worlds inform us. How they know, we could not say."

"Very well."

"How are we to deal with this shapeshifter?"

"Luigi will handle her." Lakitu assured the Giants.

"How will he do this?"

"I am unsure. It is Luigi's decision. I have hopes that he will defeat her. Without her master, the shapeshifter will be at an extreme disadvantage. He always co-ordinated her when they were together."

"I see." The Giants rumbled among themselves for a while.

"It seems that the shapeshifter is with Luigi now." Another said. Lakitu's face fell.

"Wh...what are they doing?" He asked.

"Luigi is allowing her to stay at the inn. He is befriending her."

"He... what?!"

"He does not know that she is the shapeshifter. Her appearance is similar to that of the Bay Pirates. He may have mistaken her for one."

"I... I see." Lakitu sighed. "For now, that will be fine. Perhaps he can persuade her to join us."

"It is doubtful, but we can hope."

"Will you not tell Luigi of this?" A third Giant asked.

"Perhaps, later. I will observe them for now. See how they interact with each other. With some luck, the shapeshifter will prefer Luigi's company to Eo's. Then, perhaps we can convince her to turn against him. Or at least, not help him."

"I will be difficult." The first Giant told him. "She reveres Eo highly. One would go as far to say that she loves him."

"Perhaps." Lakitu admitted. "However, I still wish to watch her for a while. May I ask you to do the same?"

"We shall. We will inform you of her actions."

"My thanks, mighty Giants. I take my leave."

--

"It won't work, Lakitu." Majora warned Lakitu later on. The two sat in their room. Lakitu had just returned from Termina, having watched Luigi and Mitrea for a while.

"Why not?"

"I was there when Mitrea was imprisoned, Lakitu."

"Mitrea?"

"The shapeshifter."

"Right. So, why won't it work?"

"She hates Scholars. At least, if she didn't then, she will now."

"Why?"

"You weren't among us back then, so you wouldn't know. We Scholars were very different several thousand years ago. We removed all potential threats to existence. Eo and Mitrea were two such threats. Eo was imprisoned, as you know. Mitrea was put into an eternal sleep."

"Yes, I know this." Lakitu said, wondering what Majora's point was.

"I wasn't one of the people who sealed Eo, by the way. I simply watched from nearby. I saw Mitrea fall to her knees, in tears, begging them not to put her to sleep."

"What? No, she was as evil as Eo. Heartless, cruel. Someone like that wouldn't break down in tears like that. Unless they were acting."

"It was no act." Majora sighed. "She was truly terrified. She followed Eo blindly, yes, but she wasn't cruel. Far from it. If Eo sent her to destroy a village, she would. But, she would always try to send the villagers to safety."

"Didn't the Scholars know that?"

"Yes, but they perceived it differently. I was in charge of monitoring her actions. I would always see her send the villagers away, to prevent harm to them. However, the others didn't see it that way."

"How did they see it?"

"Fear. She wanted to scare the villagers, and leave as many as possible homeless. The Scholars believed that she did this so Eo could use these people in some form of army."

"Didn't you tell them the real reason?"

"I was almost as ignorant as they were back then. I told them that Mitrea sent the villagers away, but nothing more. Even though I heard her reasons, and everything she said, I didn't tell the Scholars." Majora sighed. "Perhaps, if I had told them, I could have convinced them to try and turn her to our side."

"You musn't blame yourself, Majora." Lakitu told him. "I'm guessing everyone was too scared of Eo, and what he was doing, to spare a thought for mercy to his supporters."

"Yes, I suppose you are right."

"Master?" Adia's voice said from the door.

"Come in, Adia." Lakitu said to her. Adia entered, closing the door behind her. She walked forward, then stood a few paces in front of Lakitu, swaying side to side as she usually did.

"Why did you summon me, Master?" Adia asked.

"I want you to watch Mitrea, the shapeshifter, and Luigi for a while."

"What about Link?"

"I'll watch him for now. I need you to watch Mitrea."

"Alright. Anything I should know?"

"She's currently in the company of Luigi. The two of them are staying at the Stock Pott Inn, with Sereng the Moblin."

"Luigi?" Adia asked. Lakitu knew exactly what she was asking.

"He thinks she's a Bay Pirate."

"I see. Mitrea?"

"I assume she's either staying with Luigi for company until her master returns, staying with Luigi because she wants to, or she's going to prepare Termina for Eo's takeover."

"Right. Sereng?"

"Clueless. Keep him that way for as long as possible."

"Okay. And me?"

"Watch her. Do not attack her, or imprison her, unless she commits evil deeds. Even if she does, inform me first."

"Right. Again, me?"

"How you watch her is your decision. Watch the world, or spend time with Mitrea. I leave it to you. If you choose to spend time with her, then try to be her friend. Try to convince her to fight on our side. Don't mention the Scholars."

"Alright. Will that be all?"

"Yes, Adia. Thank you."

"Thank you, Master." Adia turned to leave.

"Adia, one more thing."

"Yes, Master?"

"Are you aware of your title?"

"White Witch, Master. I'm surprised you didn't know before now." With that, she waved and left. Majora started laughing.

"She's catching right up to you, Lakitu." He chuckled. Lakitu frowned.

"She's already up to speed." He sighed. "She'd be the perfect work partner for me."

"She is quick and concise, understands instructions quickly. She even knew her title before you."

"One of the Chaos Emerald's guardian creatures probably told her."

"She still knew it before you."

"Oh, don't rub it in." Lakitu groaned.

"Why not? Your apprentice, knowing something before you? I find it hilarious."

"I'm sure you do."

"So, what didn't you tell her?" Majora asked, suddenly serious.

"Mitrea's apparent affection for Eo, her frailty. Oh, and something rather serious regarding Luigi."

"And what would that be?"

"He's got a crush on her."

"No way!" Majora gasped "I thought he was devoted to Daisy."

"He is, he is. But, it's perfectly normal to be attracted to people other than a partner."

"So... who are you attracted to?"

"Majora, please!"

"Spill it, Lakitu. Tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

**Adia**

Adia decided, after listening to the rather amusing conversation her master and Majora had after she left, to befriend Mitrea. It would make everything easier.

"I knew something before Master!" She giggled to herself. "Wow, maybe I'm catching up to him. I might be as good as he is someday!" With a happy sigh, she teleported to Termina.

_But it's strange._ Adia thought to herself. _I always seem so.. I dunno, _professional_, around him. Well, at least he and Majora appreciate it. And it'd be so _awesome_ if I became Masters' work partner! He said I could be! Wow, I'm so happy!_

"You!" Luigi's voice snapped her back to reality. Turning, Adia realised she had transported directly into the Stock Pott Inn. Luigi had just come down from upstairs.

_Oooh, watch where you're teleporting!_ She scolded herself.

"What d'you want now?" Luigi asked, standing in front of her.

"I'd like to stay here, please." She replied.

"Why?" Luigi seemed surprised by that. Adia shrugged.

"I like this place. I want to explore it a little."

"Yeah, sure." Luigi scoffed. "First, you tell me I'm gonna be a hero. Next, you're asking me to be an agent for you on Earth. Now you show up asking for a room? Just because you like it here? I don't believe you."

"Hey, I can have vacations too, you know." Adia huffed.

"Vacation?"

"Yes, that's right. I want to take a holiday here, and I'd like to stay in this inn. Is that alright?"

"I... I guess so. Sure." He hopped over the counter, and picked up the guest list. "So, uh... let's have your name."

"Adia Limena." Adia replied, walking over to the desk.

"Right. It's fourty rupees a night."

"Sure." Adia made some rupees in her pocket, and handed them to him.

"Okay... here's your keys."

"You lock the front door at nine, right?"

"Y-yeah. How'd you know?"

"I just do." Adia replied with a shrug. "Room 3, right?"

"Yeah. With me, Mitrea and Sereng."

"Sereng?"

"I-I I mean Okami! Okami. Dammit." He tutted, and thrust two keys at her. "Just take the keys."

"Okay." Adia said happily, taking them. "I'll go check out the room, 'kay?" She stepped away from the counter, then stopped and turned back to face Luigi. "Be nice to me, please?" She asked sweetly. "I really like you, and I don't want to fight with you."

"Sure." Luigi sighed. "Hope you like the room."

"I'm sure I will." She smiled, then skipped up the stairs.

-

Adia opened the door, to see Mitrea and Sereng, as Okami, talking.

"Hiiii, everyone!" She said excitedly. "I'm your new room-mate!" She waved enthusiastically.

"You?" Sereng asked. "Why?"

"I'm on vacation." Adia replied, walking inside. "I decided I wanted to stay here."

"Right." Sereng nodded.

"So..." Adia took a deep breath. "I'm sharing a room with... Luigi, who's downstairs. You, Okami, and..." She pointed at Mitrea. "Mitrea, right?"

"That's right." Mitrea replied. "And you are?"

"I'm Adia. Nice to meet you." She bowed to them. "I hope we'll all be good friends."

_Wow, it feels weird acting like this again._ Adia thought to herself. _I used to be such a spunky, excitable girl. These days, I'm all serious and stuff._

"You seem different to when I saw you last." Sereng pointed out.

"Ooh, you noticed?" Adia grinned. "It's because I'm on vacation." She started swaying side to side. "I get to be _me_ for once."

"Oh, okay." Sereng accepted this. "Well, tomorrow we're all going to the beach."

"Ooh, ooh! Beach? Cool! Can I come?"

"It's up to Luigi, really." Sereng told her.

"Aww... I don't think he likes me very much. After what I asked him, I mean... I can't really blame him."

"He'll warm up to you, I'm sure." Mitrea assured her. "D'you want to sit down?" She patted the bed she was sat on.

"Can I? Thanks!" Adia trotted to the bed, and sat next to Mitrea. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

"Just what we were going to do tomorrow." Sereng replied. "Mitrea suggested a picnic, but I don't think Luigi will like it."

"Why not?"

"Because he's going to the beach for a different reason. So am I, but Mitrea wants to have a picnic."

"Me, too!" Adia clapped her hands. "I haven't been on a picnic in years. Please can we have one, Okami?"

"I... I'd like to, but... it's Luigi's decision."

"Mitrea, let's go bug him!" Adia said to the red-headed elf, grabbing her hand.

"Wha-? But..." Mitrea tried to protest.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Adia pulled her to her feet, then dragged her from the room.

"O-Okami!" Mitrea gasped, trying to reach for him. With a sigh, Sereng got to his feet, and followed the two.

--

Some time later, Adia stood a distance from Clock Town, on a hill. Lakitu was next to her.

"Well?" He asked her.

"She's acting like a normal girl." Adia replied with shrug. "I'm not sure what to make of it. Either it's a ploy, to get close to them, or she's actually enjoying herself here. It's hard to tell."

"What does her aura say?"

"It's kinda fifty-fifty. One part wants to do Eo's work, the other wants to enjoy the company of the people she's with. After all, Luigi can be a real nice guy when he wants to be."

"Yes, he can. How is Sereng affecting her?"

"She seems to like him, too. Not as much as Luigi, though. I think Sereng, as Okami, is more of a brother figure. Luigi is kinda a friend she's never had."

"And you?"

"The spare part." Adia shrugged. "Luigi is suspicious of me, Sereng has accepted me, but only just. Mitrea doesn't seem to be able to make heads or tails of me." She grinned, and started swaying.

"Adia, why do you sway like that?" Lakitu asked. "It's been bugging me for a while, and I can't figure out why."

"Huh? I sway?" Adia asked, stopping. "Sorry. D'you want me to stop?"

"No, it's fine. I just wondered why."

"Oh. I never noticed." She shrugged. "I dunno why I do it."

"Alright. Do you think you can make friends with Mitrea?"

"She's open enough, right now. And I'm sure she wants some female company. Anju, as proprietess, doesn't really fit the bill. I should be able to be close friends with her."

"Good. Keep it going, then."

"Does Eo know that Mitrea is awake?" She started swaying again.

"He doesn't, no. From what I hear, he doesn't even know who she is. Let's hope it stays that way."

"Yeah. I think she's had a rough time in her past, or something. Maybe Eo was the only one who accepted her. Maybe that's why she followed him."

"Maybe." Lakitu agreed. "If you can get to see her transform, then stay friends with her, that may sway her. Luigi might want to find out too, at some point."

"But he's supposed to fight and kill her. He might freak."

"I'll have to think of something." Lakitu sighed. "For now, just work on being good friends with her."

"Sure! I really like her. She's so cute sometimes." Adia giggled. "Like, when I took her to ask Luigi if we could have a picnic at the beach, she blushed _sooo_ much! It was adorable!"

"She blushed?"

"Yeah! It was amazing! You should've seen it! She barely said a word, she was so shy!"

"Shy?" Lakitu frowned.

"Uh... y-yeah. Sorry, should've mentioned that."

"Yes, you should have. No worries. You're still kinda new to this. Would it be fair to say that Mitrea is harbouring some feelings for Luigi?"

"I think so, yes. Whenever he's around, her auras switch to seventy-thirty, in favour of enjoying our company."

"Good." Lakitu said, with surprising force. "Try and encourage that. Luigi likes her, too, so it should be easy enough."

"Yeah, no duh."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, um!" Adia gasped, eyes widening. "I-I mean, uhm... I could tell that Luigi likes her. He couldn't keep his eyes off her."

"Yes, well. Try and get the two closer, and try to get closer to her yourself."

"But, what about Daisy?"

"Ah, yes. That could present a problem. Yes, don't let it go too far. Just far enough."

"Got it." Adia sighed, almost in relief. "Can I go back now?"

"Yes, Adia, you can. Just don't forget that this is work, not a holiday."

"I know." Adia smiled, waved, then walked away. Lakitu sighed, then teleported away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Maria and Daisy**

"That's better." Erk said to Maria and Daisy. The two were sat in a strange room, somewhere beneath Castle Reglais. The rooms itself was similar to a cave, but with a bed, table, two sofas and some bookshelves. There were also various crystals in brackets of the walls, and a red orb on a pedestal. Upon entering, Erk had touched the yellow crystal, and the roomed began to glow as if by candelight. Maria, Daisy and Eraf were sat in the middle of the room, meditating. "Good." Erk breathed. "Feel the magic, all around you. Feel how it flows, how it touches your body, your mind, your soul. It is a living being, just like us. It breathes, it tires, it feels."

"It wishes to befriend us." Nino said, in an almost hypnotic voice. "You must understand how the magic feels, if you want to be friends with it. It is a fiercely loyal friend to those who understand it. It will do whatever we wish, if we use it correctly."

"It has a mind of its own. It has moods. Others cannot understand these moods. In times past, the magic had only one mood, one thought. To display its power. Now, its mood changes. Sometimes it wants to display power, other times control, others kindness. You must understand this, if you are to use magic effectively. Do you feel the magic?" Eraf and Daisy nodded, but Maria frowned. "Something wrong, Maria?"

"I can hear the magic," Maria said slowly, "But I can't feel it. It's like it's nearby, but it's afraid to come closer." Erk and Nino didn't reply, staring at each other. "I'm sorry. I'll try harder."

"Maria, listen to the magic." Nino told her, her eyes glittering. "What does it say?"

"Say?" Maria asked. "Um..." She focused for a moment. "It's telling me that I'm wrong. That I shouldn't be what I am. What does that mean?"

"Do not open your eyes." Erk snapped, as Maria's eyelids twitched. "Ask it what it means." Erk closed his own eyes, asking the same question. "ah." He sighed.

"It says... my body is changed. That I shouldn't be like this."

"Incredible." Erk sighed. "That you can listen to the magic so soon. Tell it... that you need its help to change back."

"I will..." Maria mumbled, frowning in concentration.

_Magic, listen to me._ Maria thought, casting her thought to the entity that hovered nearby. _I know I am changed. I am different to how I should be. I need your help to change back. Will you help me?_

_I will help you, Altered One._ A voice whispered in Maria's mind. The voice was both male and female, young and old, wise yet stupid. It was an amazing voice. Maria gasped suddenly as the magic embraced her body, stroking gently against her face, her neck, her legs and arms. It held her like a child would hold a mother. Like a person would hold a lover. It was an incredible sensation, and Maria shuddered at the touch. It felt amazing. Erk stared at her throughout this, smiling.

"Do you feel the magic now, Maria?" He asked her.

"Yes." Maria gasped, face flushed. "It's amazing."

"Really?" Eraf asked, not moving. "Feels like wind to me."

"It feels friendly to me." Daisy said. "Why d'you feel so good about it?"

"Perhaps this is her first experience?" Nino suggested.

"It's mine, too." Daisy reminded her. Erk frowned in thought.

"Maria." He said to the woman. "Ask the magic its name."

"Name?" Maria asked. "It has a name?"

"Ask it."

_Magic, do you have a name by which I can call you? _Maria asked the sweeping energy that caressed her body.

_I have no singular name._ The magic replied. _Magic, Arcana, Power. I have been known by many names over the years._

_I mean... a name for you as a being, not a force. _The energy paused in its touching.

_I... have not. No-one has ever thought to name me as a being for a long time._

"It has no name." Maria told Erk. "No-one ever named it like a living thing."

"Wow." Erk gasped. "I didn't think you'd be having a conversation with the magic so soon."

_Name me._ The magic begged Maria.

_Name you?_

_Please._

"It wants a name." Maria said, shocked.

"Then name it."

_I name you... Vahlia._ Maria told the magic, stringing together random letters. There was a sudden rush in the room, as the magic grew in size and intensity. Erk gasped.

"What the?!" He cried, as the force buffeted around the room, the candlelight flickering.

_**A name!!**_ A voice howled happily. _**After countless millenia, a name! And the same as last time!**_

"The same as...?" Nino squeaked. There was a sudden flash of light emanating from Maria. The light blinded Erk and Nino, making them shield their eyes. Daisy and Eraf covered their eyes, too. After a moment, the light disappeared, and all was black. Erk fumbled his way to the red orb, touched it, and the room lit up again.

_Thank you._ A voice whispered. _Thank you, Traveller._ Everyone stared at Maria.

"Ma..." Eraf gasped. "MARIO!!" She howled, throwing herself around the person who sat in Maria's place. Mario spluttered for a moment, then looked at himself.

"I'm... me again." He gasped. He pulled himself free of Eraf's hug, and stood up. "I'm me."

"The magic... sorry, Vahlia, changed you back." Erk told him. "To show its' gratitude." He closed his eyes for a moment. "It's still here."

"Yeah." Mario replied. "She's all over me."

"She?"

"Well, it feels more like a girl to me." Mario shrugged. "And she won't leave me alone."

"Devil!" Eraf gasped. "You're mine!" She hugged Mario again, as if to prove this.

"I think..." Erk murmured. "We may have our first Warlock in a long time."

_Vahlia._ Mario called out to it.

_Yes?_

_Do you know why I wish to learn magic?_

_To defeat the Evil One. To return home with your mate. And also to be who you once were._

_Yes. However, if I asked, would you allow me to change into a girl again?_

_If... you should so desire. But, I thought you wanted to be male?_

_I do. But, the girl me is helpful sometimes._

_Mario, be careful here. _Erk's voice murmured, his presence appearing alongside Vahlia's. _Vahlia will do anything you ask now. If you ask it to follow your every command while you're here, it will. Ask it to kill someone, it will._

_I will._ Vahlia replied. _What would you asked of me, Traveller?_

_I ask..._ Mario thought for a moment. _That I have the ability, regardless of world, to change back and forth between my girl form._

_Mario!_ Erk gasped. _Think carefully of your decision! Surely asking for Vahlia's service would be better-_

_No._ Mario replied. _I want to be able to change at will. It will help me now, and it will be good for the future. Vahlia, that is my wish._

_It shall be done._ Vahlia replied. It gathered itself, all of itself in the castle, and swirled around Mario.

_Mario!_ Erk snapped. _Think of Eo. Of what you fight to protect. Are you sure that this is wise?_

_No. _Mario sighed. _But it is what I want. I will learn to use Vahlia's strength as a normal Mage. I will fight Eo fairly, not with the force of magic itself at my command. To do that would prove that I yearn only for power, like Eo. That's not how I am._

_I understand._ Erk said, then his presence disappeared.

_I will help you how you desire, Traveller._ Vahlia whispered. _You have had your wish, but I still want to help you. The Evil One must be stopped. If you call upon me, I will lend you my power. _

_Thank you, Vahlia._

_You are most welcome, Traveller. _Mario felt energy building up inside him. He felt Maria's presence in his mind, ready and waiting to be released. Maria's face appeared in his mind, and smiled at him.

_Thank you._ Maria's voice whispered. _For allowing me to be part of you._ Then, the face disappeared.

_I love you, Mario._ Vahlia sighed, then floated away.

"So... what happened?" Nino asked. "Erk, I saw your eyes go like Lakitu's when he telepaths. Did you telepath?"

"Kinda." Erk replied. "I'm not sure if it's the same as Lakitu's though. Anyway, Mario is now able to turn into Maria any time he wants, any where he wants. Even in his homeworld." Eraf gasped, then giggled.

"You really like Maria, don't you?" She asked Mario, still clutching his arm. Mario nodded.

"She has her uses." He grinned.

"Right." Erk said suddenly, drawing all the attention back to him. "You can all feel the magic now. It's time to start learning how to use it. Mario, it will be alot easier for you, since Vahlia's so smitten with you."

"Smitten?" Eraf asked.

"Never mind." Mario told her. "Hey, can I just practise changing? Get used to it, you know." Erk nodded. Mario closed his eyes, wondering how exactly he would change.

_I am here._ Maria's voice said. _Shall we swap?_

_Yes._ Mario replied. Mario glowed for a moment, changing. The glowing stopped, and Maria stood in his place.

"Wow." She sighed. "That felt good. Better than when I drank the magic water." She looked around. "I never really realised before, but Maria's taller than Mario."

--

Nino sat in her room, some time later. She thought about what had just happened. Mario, or Maria, could converse with magic so easily. Erk could, and so could Nino, to a certain extent. But, it had taken them years to be able to. Mario had done it in an hour, maybe less.

_Vahlia?_ Nino called. She hoped for a moment.

_Mage-girl._ Vahlia replied.

_Why did you answer Mario so quickly?_

_He smells of a home I once had. My essence in that world is weaker now. No-one uses me. Mario is from that world, and I wanted to be able to have a stronger conscience in that world._

_Oh. You want Mario to take you to an old home?_

_Yes. I am pleased with what he asked. My magic will follow him when he returns, and I will be able to strengthen the parts of me there. The Fairy also has access to some magic. Hopefully she will try to call on me. I will be able to grow strong again._

_I see._ Nino sighed. _Might I take a few more moments of your time?_

_For teaching Mario of me, so that I may return home, you may. I am very grateful to you. What would you speak of, Mage-girl?_

_Okay. Something that just entered my head... _

_You ask why I call Mario by name, but all others by title? Because I love Mario. He named me. _

_Right. So, why the-_

_I am older now. _Vahlia replied before Nino could form the question. _I age, like living beings. My tastes and desires change, as all living beings. I tire of showing what a powerful force I am. I want to prove that I am also tender, loving, kind. _

_I thought as much. But, those old magic-users..._

_Are not worthy of my strength. They are too set in what they know. They cannot change. I refuse to lend my power to such stubborn fools._ Nino giggled at that.

_So, why do you allow me and Erk to use you?_

_You tried to understand how I have changed. The Teacher also tries, but his mind is older, less able to adapt. I hope he learns soon. I enjoy him. He uses my energy so well, much like the Spellweaver._

_Who?_

_You know the Teacher as Pent, and the Spellweaver as Erk. _

_You like them?_

_Very much. _Nino felt Vahlia smile. _I like you, too, Mage-girl. All three of you use my power well. It gives me great pleasure to see my power used in such skillful ways._

_Thank you, Vahlia. What of Mario?_

_He will learn. His grasp on me is raw, untrained. But, I will help him as much as I can. Maria, too, of course._

_Of course._

_Will that be all, Mage-girl?_

_Do you tire of me already?_ Nino asked, feeling a little hurt.

_Yes. I prefer the company of Mario. I mean no offense, Mage-girl, but I am enjoying the feel of an old home. It is nostalgic._

_I understand. I am done._

_Farewell._

--

Pent stood atop Castle Reglais, looking out across the land. A small army seemed to be approaching. Pent called upon the magic, hoping it would come. He wanted to cast a spell that would allow him to see far. The magic didn't come. Pent sighed. For a moment, Pent had felt a familiar tingle, like when he cast magic before. It reminded him of his many battles. As soon as he thought that, the feeling disappeared.

_What am I doing wrong? _Pent asked himself. _Every time I remember fighting, the magic disappears. Has it really changed? _He called upon the magic again, asking for far-seeing vision. Again, he felt the tingle. Pent forced himself not to think of battle. Instead, he thought of teaching Erk, and how proud he had been when Erk mastered control. Suddenly, the small dots on the horizon grew in size. The spell had worked. Looking out, Pent saw what he had suspected; a small army. Were they marching on Castle Reglais? Why? The peace agreement was surely still in effect. So, why on Elibe would an army be marching toward his castle? He quickly jogged down the stairs, planning to ask someone to approach the army and find out.

**Nino**

Nino frowned. She had been trying to enter the Void, like Erk had done just minutes previously. Why could he do it, and not her? What was she missing? Erk had tried to explain it to her, and she had done exactly as he had asked. Focus, think of a peaceful place, will yourself to it. Keep calm, let nothing distract you. It just didn't work. Nino sighed, leaning back in her chair. She could feel Erk floating around the Void, looking for anything strange. How she wished she could help. All she could do was be his Maiden, to make his task a little easier. She knew that Erk didn't need her at all. Still, it made her happy that he asked. She sighed, and closed her eyes. She thought of her and Erk, a couple still, even after all these years. They had had no fights or arguments, as though they were meant to be. Some disagreements, some difference of opinion, but never an argument. She smiled as she remembered the time when she had tried to win him over. The summer ball, all those years ago, had been the huge first step towards their relationship. Her smile widened as she remembered their first night together, in the Aura Room, where Erk had taken Mario and the others to train. She and Erk had laid on the bed, holding each other, enjoying each other, sharing each others' bodies. It had been so wonderful. A dream come true. A dream she had dreamt for a long time beforehand. Now, Erk was hers. That night had been the most magical night of her life. She had been so happy, holding Erk against her bare body, as he kissed her lovingly. She sighed happily, and opened her eyes. Sudden panic took her. She wasn't in her room. Where was she? Looking around, she saw blackness. A few glowing orbs moved slowly through the dark.

_The Void! _She thought to herself. _I did it! _She looked around, and saw Erk nearby. He was staring at her, smiling. He gave her a quick 'thumbs-up', then flew away, still looking. Nino willed herself forward, and found herself flying through the Void. She took a moment to get her excitement under control, and remembered why Erk was here. Unusual activity. Like worlds spiking, or people being here who shouldn't be. Of course, Nino didn't know who was or wasn't supposed to be, beside herself. She flew around for a while, looking at the various worlds. None of them spiked. How did spiking look, exactly? Her question was answered a moment later, when a world far off in the distance spiked. A large spike, protruding from the orb, stretched out into the Void. A moment later, a figure appeared, glowing. A barrier of blue light pushed the spike back into the orb. Nino wondered how to push the spikes back. She wanted to learn. To help. To no longer be a spare part. Her thought was abruptly stopped as a group of glowing lines shot toward her. Lost in the wonder of the glow, and what these lines were, Nino didn't move in time. The lines shot through her, and the glowing orbs span around her at a blinding speed. Some even seemed to move different places, but Nino couldn't quite tell with all the spinning.

_Erk! _She gasped in her mind. Her lips also mouthed the word, but there was no sound in the Void. _Erk, help me!_ She cried desperately. A few moments later, she regained her bearings. She willed herself out of the lines, and watched as they raced by. _What was that? _She asked herself, shaken. She decided to ask someone when she got back. She flew toward a world, which she somehow recognised as home. Erk had said that to return, you simply have to fly into the Elibe's orb. Nino did so, and felt a yellow light bathe her. When the light faded, she was back in her room. But, it looked different. Her table was on the other side of the room. Her single bed had been replaced by a double. The curtains were different. What was this? Had someone redecorated without telling her, for a surprise? Nino walked outside, and began looking for Lord Pent to ask her. As she walked, some children dashed past her, giggling and laughing.

"Erk, you loser! Where are you?" One of them yelled. Erk? Who were these children, and why were they after Erk? Nino walked over to a window, and looked outside. It seemed to be early morning. But, it had been evening when she left. Had she been gone the entire night? Then, something else caught her eye. Erk, walking in the gardens.

"Erk!" She called to him. Erk ignored her, and scurried past the window. "Erk?" Nino asked, confused. Why would Erk ignore her like that? She dashed down the stairs, and outside to where Erk should be. Then, she gasped. This wasn't Erk! Well, it was, but... younger. Several years younger. A child. Then, another gasp. Daisy? A girl who looked exactly like Daisy, only younger, walked toward Erk.

"Erk." The girl said, hugging him gently. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Those brats are still chasing after me." Erk sighed. "They won't let up."

"Just because you're Lord Pents' favourite." The girl sighed. "How are you doing with the Thunder spell?"

"Almost got it. It's a little hard. Thunder's so erratic. I can't keep a tie on it."

"You'll get there, Erk." The girl told him, patting his shoulder. "I believe in you."

"Thanks, Ella." Erk replied, smiling widely. Nino felt like she would faint. Ella! The girl who Erk had loved, all those years ago. This was her? Why did she look so much like Daisy?

"Hey, Erk!" Another voice yelled.

"Damn, they found me." Erk hissed. "I'll see you later, Ella." He hugged her briefly, and Ella planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Nino bristled. Then, Erk dashed past her, inside the castle. The group of children appeared a moment later. One of them stopped by Nino.

"Seen the loser?" He asked her.

"Yeah, that way." Nino told him, pointing somewhere across the gardens. "I think he was going to the greenhouse."

"Cheers." The kid clapped her on the arm, then dashed away. "The greenhouse!" He yelled.

"Hey, thanks." A gentle voice said next to her. Ella. Nino hissed the name in her head. "Thank you for protecting Erk."

"No problem." Nino replied, trying to keep her voice level. "I'm not about to let some brats mess him up."

"Thank you." Ella hugged her gently. "I do wish they'd leave him alone. He means so much to me." Nino felt anger and jealousy building up.

"Me, too." She said, before she could stop herself.

"Oh, do you know him?"

"Uh, no." Nino gasped. "I just... never mind."

"Alright. Keep your secrets. I won't pry."

"Thank you. Are you... Ella?"

"I am." Ella replied. "Who are you?"

"Just a stranger." Nino sighed. "You look alot like someone I know."

"Really? Poor girl. Looking like me." She sounded sincere about that.

"Hey, c'mon. You're pretty. She looks just like you, only older."

"Oh? How interesting. What's her name?"

"Daisy."

"Dais..." Ella paused, her eyes going out of focus.

"Um... Ella?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. Spacing out like that. Well, I wish you luck. I'm going to find Erk, and help him with the Thunder spell."

"Sure. Hey, wait a sec." Nino grabbed Ella's arm as she turned. "Tell him... Thunder only wants to return to the earth. That should help."

"Are you a Mage, stranger?" Ella asked.

"I... know a little about magic."

"I'll tell him what you said. Thank you again. Helping him so much, when you don't even know him." Nino flinched, but Ella didn't notice. "It means alot to me."

"Sure." With that, Ella trotted away. Nino sighed, closed her eyes, and entered the Void again. She floated around a little, then saw the lines again. What had they done?

_Maybe going back through them will help?_ She pondered. Then, she dove into the lines, and flew along them as far as she could. After a while, she hopped out, and re-entered Elibe.

"No... way." She gasped. She had re-entered back in the gardens of Castle Reglais. But, it was different. Bigger. More majestic. She entered and looked around. More children, bustling about.

"He's coming!" Someone gasped. "He's judging the competition! Told you he would!"

"Yeah, yeah." Another sighed. But they looked excited, too.

"He's bringing his wife, too!" A third cried. "She's so beautiful, have you seen her?"

"No, I haven't."

"Oh, yeah. She got pregnant just before you arrived. The Lord's been keeping her in his room ever since. I can't wait to see her again."

_Who're they talking about?_ Nino wondered, joining the audience.

"Hey, you're not from here." A kid snapped.

"Leave her alone. She probably came to see them.

"Yeah, leave her."

"Here they come!" Someone yelled, and cheers erupted from the crowd. Walking down the stairs where two adults, garbed in royal clothing. For a moment, Nino expected to see Pent and Louise. She gasped when she saw who it was.

"Lord Erk!" Someone cried. "Lord Erk!"

"Lady Nino!" Another cried. "Oh, my Lady you're so beautiful!"

"You're glowing, Milady!"

"Is it soon?"

"Lord Erk!"

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Now, now, children." Lord Erk raised a hand, and they all fell silent. "We're leaving the gender to being a surprise. I'm eager to find out."

"The baby is due in three weeks." Lady Nino said, smiling tenderly. She stroked her bulging stomach. "There will be feast." More cheers. Lord Erk raised his hand again, and they all fell silent.

"Please, Nino needs her rest. Let us judge the competition. We don't want to exhause my wife, do we?"

"No, Sir!" The children chorused.

"Let us..." Lord Erk paused. He looked directly at Nino. Not Lady Nino, but little Nino. Nino gasped, and forgot how to breathe. "Excuse me." He said to Lady Nino. He then walked toward little Nino. "Walk with me outside, child." He said gently to her. The children gasped.

"A favourite?"

"New student?"

"Relative?" The whispers exploded. Little Nino looked to Lady Nino, who smiled and nodded gently. Nino followed Lord Erk outside.

"So you came, just as you said." Lord Erk sighed.

"What do you mean, Er... my Lord?" Nino asked. Lord Erk chuckled.

"Just Erk to you, little Nino." He smiled.

"You... know me?"

"Yes. Many years ago, you told me about this. How you appeared here, and saw me and you as Lord and Lady of Castle Reglais. It pleases me to see that it was true. However, you should not be here. This is not your time."

"I know. I don't know how I came to be here."

"No worries. Adia is prepared. She will go with you into the Void, and take you home." He closed his eyes. A moment later, a girl appeared. She had light blue hair with dark blue streaks, and green eyes. She wore a purple sleeveless top, a black skirt, and black and purple striped knee-high socks. She had pointed ears, which stood almost upright, and very pale skin. She looked at Nino.

"Silly, silly." Adia sighed, swaying on the spot. "At least you got wiser as you grew up." She smiled, flashing small, pointed teeth. "Let's get you home, shall we?"

"Wait." Nino said. "Lord Erk." She curtseyed briefly. "How long have we... you... been married?" Lord Erk laughed.

"You said you asked this. Apparently, I answered. Myself and Lady Nino have been married for eight years. We married a mere year and a half after the Eo fiasco." He grinned. "And I won't tell you who proposes to who. Run along now, little Nino."

"What will you call the baby?"

"If it's a boy, Pent. If it's a girl, Ella."

"My Lord Erk." Nino said, smiling. "You grew to be a majestic man."

"And you grew to be a beautiful woman." Lord Erk replied, nodding his head at Lady Nino. "All the children love you."

"Thank you, my Lord." Nino curtseyed again, then took Adia's outstretched hand. "Goodbye."

"Farewell." Then, the castle disappeared, and Nino found herself in the Void. Adia pulled her toward those strange lines again, and into them. Adia flew along for a moment or two, then back out.

_We're here._ Adia's voice said in her head.

_Nino!_ Lakitu's voice cried. Lakitu flew over to them. _Are you alright? _Nino nodded. _Adia, thank you for finding her. _Adia nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes.

_Thank you, Master._ She replied. _It has been a long time. I missed you._

_Long time? Why, I only just..._ Lakitu stopped as he realised what she meant. _The future, huh?_ Adia nodded. _Let's go, Nino. _He took Nino's hand from Adia's, and flew toward Elibe. Adia waved to them, then disappeared.

--

"Nino!" Erk cried as she reappeared in the Great Hall of Castle Reglais. He grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh, I was so worried!" He sobbed. "What happened?"

"Uhm..." Nino tried to unscramble her thoughts. "Well, Lo-" she stopped, about to call him 'Lord Erk'. "Erk, I think I travelled through time."

"Lakitu?" Erk asked the tortoise. Lakitu nodded.

"The Lines affect her. Nino, don't get to the Void again until myself or Adia say you can. We can't risk you being catapulted through time again."

"I'm sorry." Nino mumbled.

"Not your fault, Nino. You didn't know the Lines would affect you. You don't even know what they are, do you?" Nino shook her head. "You shouldn't have seen the future, Nino. But, alas, it has happened." Then, he sighed. "You went to the past, too, didn't you?" Nino nodded. "I thought so. Much has changed." He said.

"How?" Nino asked.

"Little things, all over Elibe, and in other worlds. Nothing major, nothing that changes too much."

"Well, what's changed?"

"Erk, Daisy, tell her." Lakitu sighed. Nino looked to Daisy, confused. Daisy walked forward, and held Erk's hand. Nino frowned, and almost growled at her.

"We know." Daisy sighed. Nino's frown disappeared. "I was Ella. I still am, in a sense."

"No..." Nino whispered. She feared that, by knowing this, Erk might go back to Ella.

"Yes, Nino." Erk said. "Ella told me, years ago, that a girl, a little older than her, said she looked like someone called Daisy. That name was familiar to her. Daisy just explained to me now that she never died; Lakitu took her home, to her time."

"How... how? What? I don't get it."

"Daisy got sucked into Elibe by a spike." Lakitu explained. "However, at the same time, the Lines ran through her. She came to Elibe today, and Elibe several year ago."

"Oh. But, why did she look younger then?"

"When Daisy was sent back," Lakitu explained. "Her appearance changed. She grew younger. The Lines affected her that much." Nino recovered her mind a little, to glare at Erk and Daisy's hands, still clasped together. "So, these two know that now." Nino looked at him. "Like I said, nothing major has changed."

"Nothing major?" Nino asked, feeling anger rising again. "What about... that?" He pointed at Erk and Daisys' hands.

"Nothing major." Erk repeated. "I'm over her, still. But we are close friends. We've been... getting to know each other again." Nino wheeled around, to stare at him. "Nino, you went to the future, right?" Nino nodded. "Did you see me and Daisy together there?"

"No. I saw me and you." Nino replied.

"Right." Erk then let go of Daisy's hand, and took both of Nino's in his own. "I still love you, Nino. I always will. We are meant to be together."

"I know." Nino whispered, gripping Erk's hands tightly. "We're going to get married. We're going to be Lord and Lady of Castle Reglais." Lakitu and Pent groaned.

"Not something you should reveal, Nino." Lakitu told her. "Alas, it's happened. I'm not going to tamper with the Lines when they're this wild." He sighed. "I take my leave now. Perhaps you three," He said to Erk, Nino and Daisy. "Should take some time to talk." The three nodded. "Okay. See you." He disappeared. Erk, Nino and Daisy looked at each other, then grinned.

"Say, Nino." Erk said to her.

"Yes?"

"You really helped, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Thunder only wants to return to the earth." He grinned. Nino gasped, then smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Lord Erk and Lady Nino (The future)**

"I never really believed you, you know." Lord Erk said to Lady Nino, stroking her stomach. The two were in their room again.

"Well, now you do." Lady Nino replied. "I can't believe how delicate I used to look. How... vulnerable."

"You changed a great deal." Lord Erk told her, kissing her lightly on the cheek. Lady Nino nodded. "After you nearly-"

"Please." Lady Nino said suddenly. "Don't remind me. It's an episode I'd rather forget."

"But you can't. Especially since the girl we saw will go through it soon." Lord Erk told her gently. "A pity I didn't warn her."

"You couldn't have. I didn't know, so neither should she." Lady Nino sighed. "I was so different after it. It changed me so much."

"I know." Lord Erk whispered. "I know."

"It's dangerous." Adia's voice said from the door. Lord Erk and Lady Nino looked to her. "It's dangerous to talk about the past when you've just seen a fragment. You could influence things."

"How?"

"Just now, little Nino is probably feeling that something bad will happen. It's your memories of the event that's giving her the premonition. In fact, even my mentioning is it alerting the younger me to the fact that something will happen." She sighed. "Let it be forgotten. Nino may handle it differently to you, if she feels it coming."

"I _did_ feel it coming." Lady Nino told Adia. "That's why I was prepared."

"If you say so." Adia agreed. "You know what happened better than me." She started swaying again. "How's Vahlia? Still having tantrums?"

"No, she's calmed down." Lord Erk said happily. "It wasn't easy on her, having two Ninos. It confused her for a while."

"As long as she's okay now." Adia smiled. The smile disappeared quickly. "I saw Master. When I took little Nino home."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. It's just been a long time. I'm glad I got to see him again. A shame I can't go back any more. I'd mess up too much."

"It's okay, Adia." Lady Nino said. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah. I'm better already." With a smile, a wink and a wave, she disappeared.

"Liar." Lord Erk mumbled, then returned to stroking Lady Nino's belly.

"Give her some credit, Erk." Lady Nino told him. "After all, recent events have reminded her of Lakitu."

"I know." Lord Erk sighed. "I still wonder how he freed himself. Well, at least Mitrea is on our side now."

**Ella and Erk (The past)**

"That girl said I look like someone." Ella said to Erk in his room. She and Erk were sat on his bed.

"Hm? Oh, the girl who sent the guys to the green house?" Erk asked.

"Yeah. She said I look like someone called Daisy, only younger."

"Oh yeah? Who's Daisy?"

"I don't know." Ella sighed. "But, the name is so familiar to me."

"Weird. You'll get it eventually." Erk assured her.

"Yes, just like you'll get the Thunder spell eventually." She giggled. Erk sighed. "Hey, don't worry. That girl said something that should help."

"What'd she say?"

"Thunder only wants to return to the earth." Ella said. "Does that... help?"

"Hmm... I think it does." Erk said, smiling. "Thunder's not as erratic as I thought, actually." His smile widened. "Wow, that really did help. It just looks for the quickest way down, huh?" He stood, and picked up the tome for Thunder. "Thunder!" He snapped. A lightning bolt flashed from his hand, zapping at the walls. Then, it flew into the floor, and disappeared. "Got it." He grinned.

"Wow!" Ella gasped. "Straight away!" She leapt up and hugged him from behind. "See, I said you were smart, and good."

"Alright, alright." Erk admitted. "You were right. I have talent, after all."

"Lord Pent made a good chocie with you." Ella told him, nuzzling his neck. "A real good choice."

"Ella, that tickles."

"No, it doesn't. I can tell you like it." Ella grinned impishly. "Don't try lying to me, Erky."

"Fine, fine." Erk turned his head. Ella lifted hers, and kissed him gently on the lips. "I'll never lie to you again."

"You'd better not." Ella said sternly, then laughed. "Even if you did, I'd know."

"I saw that girl, you know."

"Oh?"

"I think so. Taller than you, short green hair, blue eyes?" Erk asked. Ella nodded. "Yeah, I saw her. I ran past her to escape the idiots."

"You took notice even though you ran past her in a hurry? Wow. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, it's weird. She feels... I dunno, important to me."

"Important how?"

"Like I should know her. Like I need to be... friends, or something, with her."

"Erk, don't get any ideas."

"I won't."

**Erk and Nino (The past)**

Erk sat reading a book. It was called 'General Compositional Theory of Anima Magic, Voll VIII'. Then, a young girl appeared next to him.

"Hey, it's a Mage!" She gasped to herself. Erk looked up, and held back a gasp. The girl from before, in Pent's castle! She looked exactly as he remembered her, maybe a little younger. "Hi!" She said happily. "I'm Nino!"

_Easy, Erk..._ He warned himself. _Don't say anything stupid._

"Hey... I'm Erk." He replied.

_Does she remember me? Or is this someone else?_

"Oh, you're reading a book! That's good! So, what kind of book is that?"

_Jeez, she's cute!_ Erk thought. _Cuter than I remember. Then again, it was only a glimpse._

"General Compsitional Theory of Anima Magic, Volume Eight." Erk replied.

"Is it good?"

"Average, I suppose." Erk answered truthfully.

"Wait!" Nino gasped, leaning in closer. "There was a picture on that page! Go back! What is it? What is it?" She pointed excitedly. "There's something written there."

"It's a picture of a Mage casting Elfire." Erk replied. "Beneath it, it says that Elfire was discovered a few hundred years ago, when someone cast Fire with noble thoughts strong in his mind."

"Wow." Nino sighed. "What else is in here?"

_Stop it, Erk. No flirting. She deserves better than you._

"Actually, I'd appreciate it if I could read alone." Erk said gently. "I'm trying to remember all of this."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nino gasped, stepping back. "I-I didn't mean to disturb you. Forgive me!" She bowed.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it." Erk replied. Nino bowed again, then walked away. "Well, that went well." Erk said to himself.

**Adia (Present day)**

Adia shuddered. She had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. But, who to? It wasn't Luigi, or any of the others. No, it was someone in a different world. Someone who was somehow important in the current events. But who? How were they important, and what was going to happen them? Adia had a sudden image of a girl with green hair.

"Guys, I'm stepping out for a while." She said to Mitrea and Sereng. Sereng was still as Okami. The two nodded as Adia half-ran from the room. Once she was outide, and sure no-one could see her, she teleported to where-ever this girl was. A shriek welcomed her, as a girl with green hair stumbled backwards over a chair.

"Adia?!" The girl gasped.

"You know me?" Adia asked the girl. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nino. Don't you remember?"

"I've never met you."

"Oh. Oh, I get it. Sorry, my bad."

"What d'you mean?"

"I accidentally went to the future. The future you brought me back."

"Oh. Okay."

"So, what brings you here?"

"I got a strange feeling that something was about to happen to you."

"Yeah, I've had that feeling too." Nino said, looking worried. "What's gonna happen?"

"I've no idea." Adia admitted. "But, I don't think we can avoid it. Just be ready."

"Right." Nino agreed, sighing.

"I'll keep an eye on you." Adia promised.

"Thank you."

**Majora**

Majora heaved huge sigh, and put the book down. This made the twentieth book, but he still hadn't found anything strong enough to seal Eo.

"I think I'll consult the sand." He mumbled. "See what's going to happen. Especially after Nino's episodes in the past."

"Plural?" Lakitu's voice asked. "She's only been once, hasn't she?"

"So far." Majora replied. "She's going to have a couple more, I think."

"What makes you so sure?" Lakitu floated over to him on his clould. Majora answered by pointing to a bowl of sand. Lakitu looked at it. "Ahh, I see." Most people would see only a bowlful of sand, but Lakitu and Majora were able to read messages from the sand, by reading the energy of the grains. "Wow, this is something. She could really do that?!" He gasped, reading the next message. "M-majora! If she does, then-"

"No." Majora shook his head. "The consequences of that... we can't let it happen."

"But, nothing could be worse than-"

"NO!" Majora snapped loudly, making Lakitu wince. "Trust me, Lakitu. There are for more things worse than Eo. He may be the embodiment of evil, but he's only one. There are many people out there, whose evil could easily rival Eo's. Nino's actions in that plain could bring them about. If more than one come at once, then we'll have a whole lot more to worry about."

"I... I guess. I'm just caught up in sorting Eo, I'm leaping at every possibility."

"Sealing him is the best. It's hardly fair to have those Heroes defeat him, only to have to do it again, and again, every time he revives."

"I know." Lakitu sighed. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I'm going to consult the sand. See what could happen."

"Alright. Be careful."

"Lakitu, I've only ever been trapped once. I won't let it happen again." He kissed Lakitu gently. "After all. I've got you to come back to now." Lakitu grinnd sheepishly.

"I'll leave you to it." He said, flying out of the room. Majora sighed, and picked up the bowl of sand. He sat on his chair, placing the bowl on his lap. He picked up a handful, and watched as it cascaded back into the bowl. He repeated this four more times. Then, he scooped out a large amount in both hands, and closed his eyes. He concentrated his energy. The sand, pouring through his fingers, following the pull of gravity. Each grain, falling through the air, remembering this event. Remembering every event. Everything that has happened, everything that could have happen. Knowing, through these events, what could happen. Majora's eyes opened, glazing over with a bright white film. Majora then saw what the future could hold. He saw all the possibilites. Or did the sand only show him a few? He couldn't be sure...

------

Eo was gloating. He watched, immensely entertained, as the two Heroes, Mario and Link, fought each other to the death. Adia stood nearby, fretting over what to do. She knew that she couldn't risk any action. To pull these two apart by force would weaken her for later, when she had to take them home. Attacking them might kill them. Doing nothing might result in one of them kill the other. Eo grinned as Mario slashed Link across the stomach, making the elf fall to the floor.

"I'll finish you!" Mario hissed, lifting his sword for a stab. His sword plummeted down, sinking into Link's head. Eo laughed. Adia screeched. Mario roared.

-

Nino laid on the floor, lifeless. By her side, Erk, sobbing uncontrollably. A few paces away, Daisy, upset. In one of Nino's hands, a knife. Several wounds on her body. A fatal cut to her neck. Daisy, too, held a knife

"I'm sorry, Erk." Daisy whimpered.

'It... was self-defense." Erk said slowly, wiping away his tears. "She attacked you... if I'd only explained to her... if I hadn't... spent so much time with you, instead of her... I-I don't know!" He wailed, and held the limp body of Nino close to him. Daisy sunk to her knees, tears decorating her cheeks.

-

Luigi stood with Mitrea. They faced Link and Maria. Mitrea transformed into a large wolf. Luigi had a spear in his hands. Maria and Link held their swords. Eo appeared behind Luigi and Mitrea, grinning. With a nod of Eo's head, Luigi and Mitrea lunged at Maria and Link.

"For Mitrea!" Luigi cried. "For her, I'll cut you all down! You, the Scholars, everyone! Only me and Master Eo can protect her!"

-

Nerra hovered above Ganondorf, who wasn't aware of her presence. She held a dagger in her hands. With a flap of her wings, Nerra flew down to the Dark Lord, who looked up a moment too late. The dagger cut into his neck. Nerra glared into his eyes.

"Never again." She hissed. "You'll never use me again."

-

Malon clutched a tiny baby in her hands. She wept. The baby was dead. A still-birth. Lakitu floated nearby.

"I told you, Maiden." He said sadly. "I'm sorry." Malon turned to look at him. "Let me ease your pain..." He charged a spell.

-

Lakitu pushed Eo into a portal.

"Seal it!" He cried as he flew into it. Adia, following her masters' orders, sealed the portal. With a sigh, she turned to the others.

-

Bowser, Peach, Zelda. The three stood at the line that seperated their worlds. Their cold stares indicated a rivalry. The worlds shuddered, then seperated.

-

Eraf screeched at Adia. Adia stared impassively at her. With a quick spell, Adia knocked Eraf's life from her.

"Next." Adia growled. "Is my former master." She looked to the sky. "I'm coming for you, Lakita Tuan."

-

Gaea of the Bora turned his head to Pent.

"It ends here." The wise owl sighed.

"It does." Pent agreed, anger etched in his voice. "I tire of the Scholars. Of you. Too many times you people have used others for your own curiosity."

"So, it comes to a fight."

"It does. When I'm done with you, I'll take care of Majora, then my former pupil, Lakita Tuan."

-

The Void. Worlds spinning wildly out of control, crashing into each other. Watching this, nearby, was Eo. With him were Luigi, Mitrea, Adia, Nerra and Mario.

"My dream." Eo sighed. "All worlds as one. All beings under my control. No more pointless fighting. No more wars. No more killing of kin. Just fear. Horror. And servitude."

"We are happy for you, Master." Adia told him. The others nodded their agreement.

-

Lakitu, gone. Link, Malon, Eraf, Gaea, Majora, Nino, Ganondorf, dead. Pent, Bowser, Peach, Zelda, Erk, Daisy, Sonic, Shadow, Sereng, missing. Eo, Luigi, Mitrea, Adia, Nerra, Mario, controlling a new world. It was the worst possible future. How could this happen?

_Nino._ The sand whispered. _What she does in the past, when she goes, will affect the present. That will in turn affect the future. How it affects it remains to be seen. These are but some possibilites, which will lead to this one. Let us show you some others, though these are not much more pleasant._

-

Luigi with Mitrea. Daisy laying dead nearby.

"She is out of the way." Luigi told Mitrea happily. "It's just you and me now." With a smile, he kissed Mitrea.

-

Adia stood with Erk. Nino stood with Mario.

"Our decisions are made." Erk sighed. "Farewell, Nino."

"Good riddance." Nino hissed. Maria stood nearby, holding Eraf in her arms.

"I'm still here, Eraf." She told the girl. "I'm still here."

"But..." Eraf cried, "I love Mario, too!"

-

Link lifted the baby, cradling it gently. Nerra, smiling, stood next to him.

"Isn't she beautiful?" She asked him. The baby gurgled, flapping its tiny, featherless wings.

"She is." Link breathed. "Forget Lakitu, and his stupid plans. You and Hypatia are all that matter now."

"Then, let's go to a new world. You give me the memories I need to stay with you, and we can be happy, away from Lakitu and Eo."

"Yes. Just us."

-

Lakitu smiled sadly.

"I've out-stayed my welcome." He said. Majora shook his head, not wanting to hear it. "I must go to another world, maybe another universe. I've caused too much trouble for the people here. Made too many enemies. I'll go somewhere new, start again." Without another word, he disappeared.

-

Eo, of gigantic size, lifted Ganondorf and Bowser. The two were wounded, after having fought two Heroes.

"Curse you, Malon, Eraf!" Eo hissed at them.

"We avenge Mario and Link." Eraf growled.

"We will kill you, Eo!" Malon roared. The two held the swords of the fallen Heroes.

-

_Now for some brighter possibilites._

-

Link and Malon, holding their baby. They were happy. Back home, where they belonged. Lakitu, true to his word, had left them alone.

-

Mario, who was sometimes Maria, lay on his bed with Eraf. The pair had slept the whole day since returning home from Elibe.

-

Erk and Nino, at their wedding. Everyone involved in the Eo conflict was present. Lord Pent presided the ceremony, marrying Erk and Nino. He had promised them Castle Reglais when he either passed away or left.

-

Adia sat alone, in a garden, reading. Majora approached, and talked to her.

-

Nerra and Ganondorf, back in Hyrule. The two were together, a happy couple.

-

Bowser and Peach, ruling over the combined Mushroom Kingdom and Koopa Empire.

-

_Now, let us show you this. If the current events continue as they are, this will happen. _

-

Link and Mario faced each other, enraged. Eraf, as a fairy, flitted worriedly near Mario. Nerra and Ganondorf stood anxiously near Link. Erk and Nino stood to one side. Luigi and Mitrea stood to the other side, holding hands, concerned. Sereng, as a Moblin, stood with them. Sonic and the rest of his group stood nearby, too. Peach, Zelda, Adia, Majora, Maria, Daisy, Bowser and Malon were also present. All eyes were on Link and Mario. But, quite a few of the group gathered looked different.

Link was missing an eye. Mario had no moustache. Nerra had no wings. Nino was covered in scars. Luigi had dark, almost cold, eyes. Sonic was a darker shade of blue. Adia was a healthy peach colour, with normal ears. Maria was seperate from Mario. Bowser had no spikes on his shell. Malon was no longer pregnant.

"But it's my fault." Mitrea whispered to Luigi. "Why can't I stop them?"

"Because I don't want to lose you." Luigi said gently, looking into her eyes. Daisy tutted, and turned her head.

"Adia, you can stop them." Majora said to her.

"So can you." Adia snapped. "Go ahead and waste your energy on stopping these idiots. We only need three, anyway."

"Nerra, don't get involved." Ganondorf warned the now-wingless girl. "Link already cut your wings off. Who knows what he'd do to you now? Not to mention what Mario might do."

"I know, my Lord." Nerra whispered, leaning into him. Ganondorf placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I won't get involved."

"Erk..." Nino said to her fiance. "I want to stop them."

"You can't." Erk told her. "Mario already beat you up once. I'm not risking that happening again."

"But-"

"Let them handle it." Erk said.

"I'll kill you!" Mario roared at Link. The two then lunged at each other, swords drawn. The swords clashed, and the crowd tensed. Lakitu appeared above them, watching.

"This is bad." He sighed, floating down to them. He pushed the two fighters apart, away from each other. "What's going on?"

"This is all your fault!" Link snapped at Lakitu. "What you and the other Scholars have been doing!"

"We're not your puppets!" Mario hissed. "But-" He pointed his sword at Link. "That's no reason to join Eo." The crowd gasped.

"_I _joined Eo?!" Link growled. "You're the one who said he was more fun! That his view was more interesting!"

"No, I didn't! _You_ said that Eo had the right idea! Forcing all worlds into one, ruling it. Don't you dare say such things about me!"

"Children, children." Lakitu sighed. "You can't _both_ have joined Eo if you don't know about each other. Someone has been playing you both."

"Um..." Mitrea's voice quivered through the air. "Th-that was... me. When I ... uhm... l-listened to Eo."

"YOU!" Link and Mario howled. The two turned, and dashed at her.

"Don't hurt her!" Luigi snapped, standing in front of Mitrea. A spear appeared in his hands. "Come any closer, and I'll kill you myself!" The two didn't stop, and instead swung their swords at Luigi. Luigi blocked Link's with the tip of his spear, and kicked Mario back.

-

_This is not your desired future. Change it, if you must. We will show you how your actions alter the future. The future is never set in stone, Shaman. Events today, or even in the past, can change the future. We must warn you of this before you try to change things. Take great caution, Shaman._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small note about the scene with Erk and Nino in the past, where Nino asks about the book Erk is reading. Anyone who's played Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken should recognise this as Erk and Nino's C rank support conversation. With some differences.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Link**

Link paced the living room of Sonic's house. No word about another Chaos Emerald. Since they had scattered a few years ago, Tails was having a hard time locating them. Link sighed impatiently. He wanted to hurry up and get all this done, so he could go home to Malon. Remembering her, he thought back to when he heard her voice. She had said something about Eraf's spell putting her next to him. Had Eraf sent Malon to Mobius? With a gasp, he picked up a coat that Rouge had bought him, pulled on his shoes, and stomped outside the door.

"Hey, where're you going, Link?" Mighty asked from the sofa

"Hunting." Link replied, slamming the door.

"Hunting?" Mighty replied, chewing on a sausage roll. "Huh." He shrugged, and turned his attention back to the TV. "Hunting."

-

Link walked around the streets, looking for Malon. He thought she should be easy to spot. She usually wore a white dress and brown boots. Everyone was wearing 'regular' clothes.

_She should stick out like a sore thumb. Like I did. _He told himself.

"Malon!" He called out. Then, he felt like an idiot. Yelling in the middle of the street like that.

"Link!" A voice cried. Female. Link felt relieved for a moment. His relief disappeared when he saw it was Nerra. "Looking for someone?"

"Malon." Link told her. "I think she's come here."

"Your fiancee?" Nerra asked. Link nodded. "Can I help? What does she look like?"

"She's a little shorter than me, red hair. Probably wearing a white dress and brown boots. If you can read her mind," Since Lakitu had recently shown Nerra how to do this willingly, "She's probably thinking about me. Looking for me."

"Okay." Nerra spread her wings, and took to the air. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you!" Link called to her as she flew away. He resumed his own search. He figured that Nerra would have better luck than him. After all, she could see more from in the air, plus she could read minds. Link wanted to learn that trick. He turned a corner, trying to remember where he had appeared when he first arrived on Mobius.

_A few blocks from here, I think. _Link thought to himself. _Near some supermarket, or something. Gah, why can't I remember? If that spell was supposed to Malon next to me, then she should have appeared near wherever I was. But then, how'd we get seperated?_

"Piece of cake!" He heard Nerra saying, sounding happy. He looked around, and saw the winged girl somewhere down the street. Malon was with her. Malon! Link jogged quickly over to the pair. "Don't worry, Malon." Nerra was saying. "You'll see Link soon."

"How soon?" Malon asked, sounding tired but eager.

"Right about... now." Nerra stepped to one side, and Malon could see Link. Her eyes brightened.

"Link!" She gasped. Link reached her, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad... I'm so... L-link, not so tight..."

"Sorry." Link said, loosening his grip. "Sorry. But, what happened to you? Eraf sent you, right? But the spell was supposed to put you next to me, wasn't it?"

"How'd you know?" Malon gasped. "Oh, yeah, Maiden power. But yeah, I appeared somewhere down that street-" She pointed, "Then I got swallowed by this huge crowd. I couldn't see where I was, or anything!"

"So, you actually appeared right by me, but got lost?" Link asked, grinning.

"Well... not quite like that, but yeah." Malon replied. Link started laughing. A moment later, Malon joined in. "I'm still glad to see you."

"Of course." Link said, finally releasing her from the hug. "C'mon, let's get to the house. I'll introduce you to everyone, then we'll go to my room. We've got some stuff to catch up on."

"Sure!" Malon grabbed his hand, and she, Link and Nerra started walking.

"First, this is Nerra." Link told Malon, pointing at Nerra. "She's helping us out."

"Nice to meet you, Nerra."

"Same to you." Nerra said, though her eyes narrowed a fraction. "Why'd you come here? I mean, sure, I can understand you wanting to be with Link, but... considering-"

"Considering nothing." Malon replied. "I couldn't bear to be away from him."

"Well, yeah, but..."

"It's okay, Nerra." Link told her. "Don't worry about it." Nerra nodded in response, but frowned.

_But she's pregnant._ Nerra thought to herself. _Why are you letting her do this? She's gonna want to get involved in the search. It'll be too dangerous. For both her and the baby._

"You okay, Nerra?" Malon asked. Nerra had fallen behind a few paces.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Nerra jogged to catch them up. "So, someone sent you? With, like, magic or something?"

"Yeah. She agreed that it wasn't fair for me and Link to be kept apart, so she helped me out."

"But..." Nerra stopped, and sighed. _Obviously she doesn't know yet. But, she should do by now. Should I tell her? I'll have to, at some point._

--

"So, you're looking for these Chaos Emerald things?" Malon asked. She, Link, Nerra, Sonic and Shadow were sat at the dining room table.

"That's right." Shadow replied. "Tails and Tekno are trying to locate them."

"How many are there?"

"Seven."

"How many do you have so far?"

"Two. Link and Nerra found the yellow emerald recently. I have the blue one. Tails is keeping it safe downstairs, with the yellow one."

"So, there's five left?"

"Yeah." Sonic sighed. "Tails thinks he's found another one. He and Tekno are making sure. So, when they found out, Tails, Link and Nerra are gonna go get it."

"I'm coming, too!" Malon declared.

"No way." Link told her. "You're staying here."

"But... Link!"

"It won't be dangerous. There's no reason for you to come. And there's no reason for you to worry about me. I'll be fine. Just wait here. I'll be back in no time at all."

"If... if you insist." Malon sighed. "I've been feeling tired lately. I'll stay here, and rest. When I'm feeling better, I'll help you guys out."

"Malon." Link groaned. "There's no need. You're here, you're safe, that's all I want."

"I'm not gonna be a spare part, Link." Malon snapped. "I want to help."

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Link told her. Malon nodded. "When's dinner, Sonic?"

"Amy's cooking today. It'll be in a couple of hours." Sonic replied.

"Great. Then, me and Malon'll be in my room." He took Malon's hand, and led her upstairs. Nerra sat back in her chair, staring directly at Sonic and Shadow.

"Something wrong?" Shadow asked her. Nerra nodded. "What is it?"

"She can't come with us." Nerra told him.

"Jealous?" Sonic grinned.

"No."

"Sure." Sonic stood up. "Look, Link'll sort it out. He doesn't want her coming, either. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Please." Nerra snorted. "She walks all over him. He'll let her come. But, she can't. Don't let her, Sonic."

"Why not?"

"She's pregnant. Neither of them seem to know, but she is. I can tell."

"Are you sure?" Shadow asked her.

"Of course I'm sure. I don't want Link finding out that Malon's pregnant just before she loses the baby. Don't let her come with us."

"Malon doesn't know?"

"Obviously."

"Then, we'll have to tell her." Shadow sighed, getting to his feet.

"Let's worry about this emerald for now." Sonic told the two. "Malon's definitely not going for this one, so there's no point in worrying right now."

"I guess you're right." Nerra agreed. She, too, stood up. "I'm going for a walk."

-

As Nerra walked, she spotted a really tall man walking around the streets. He appeared to be looking for someone, or something. He was really tall, taller than most of the people around, and he had ginger hair and a matching beard. He wore an odd outfit, which looked almost armour, and his skin was oddly dark. He didn't look like anyone from Mobius, or from whatever place it was that Link was from.

_So, why does he look so familiar?_ Nerra asked herself. The hard stare, the deep eyes, the thin smile that was almost a sneer. Nerra definitely recognised this person. His way of walking, the way he spoke to people (he was talking to someone at that moment), the frown when they couldn't answer him. It was all so familiar to Nerra. But she couldn't figure out why. Intrigued, she approached the man.

"Sir?" She asked when she reached him. He was facing away from her. "You seem lost. Can I help you in any way?"

"Perhaps." The man replied in a deep voice. He didn't turn to face her, instead looking over the heads of the crowd. "I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

"Her name is Nerra." He told her. Nerra held back a gasp. "Do you know her?"

"The... name is familiar." Nerra managed to say. "What does she look like?"

"She..." The man stood on his tiptoes, squinting at something far away. "She has dark blue hair. She's softly spoken, a nice girl who does as she's told. Her eyes are dark blue, too."

"Blue hair is unusual around here. Is it dyed?" Nerra asked. For some reason, she hoped that _she_ wasn't the person this man was looking for.

"No, it's natural. She's got wings, too." The man said. Nerra sucked in a huge gasp, and shuddered, her wings rustling. The man turned to face her. "Nerra!" He gasped, his face lighting up. This looked familiar, too. "Why didn't you tell me it was you?"

"I... I... who are you, Sir?"

"What? Nerra, it's me. Remember? Your master?"

"Is... your name Ganondorf?"

"Yes. Why... why are you talking like this? You can't have forgotten me."

"I think I must have." Nerra replied. "Or, I look just like the girl you're searching for."

"Too much so." Ganondorf agreed. "You look exactly like her."

"How are you sure I'm the one? Besides being identical."

"Because the one I'm looking for came to this world, and is working with Link."

"I... I think I must be her." Nerra sighed. "But, how do you know so much about me, when I don't know you?"

"Hold it, hold it!" A female voice cried. Ganondorf and Nerra looked to the source of the voice.

"You must be Adia." Ganondorf greeted her. "Lakitu's apprentice."

"What's wrong, Adia?" Nerra asked the girl.

"Jeez, Ganondorf!" Adia growled. "You gave Master a heart attack!"

"How?" Ganondorf asked.

"By disappearing like that! He's been scouring the worlds looking for you! He wanted to ask you to keep an eye on Malon, and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"Oh. I'm sorry. But, I'm staying here now. With Nerra."

"Why?" Nerra asked.

"Later, Nerra."

"Fine, fine. I'll tell Master." Adia sighed, holding a hand against her head. "He's not gonna be happy. I'm not happy, either. I got pulled out of a job for this. It was a fun job, too. And important." She frowned.

"You look pretty when you frown." Ganondorf teased her. Nerra felt a sudden tiny rush of jealousy.

"Yeah, yeah. Listen, G." Adia looked directly at Ganondorf. "Nerra... sweetie, can we have a moment?" She asked Nerra. After a moment of thought, Nerra nodded and walked several paves away. "Didn't Lakitu explain this to you?"

"Explain what?"

"She forgets who she is, and everyone she's ever known, every time she goes to a new world. She makes new memories in each world. She even changes personality. The only reason she's been so nice in every world she's been to recently is because she's been with nice people. You included, shockingly."

"Hey, I can be nice."

"Especially to her. Look, I know you're worried, and stuff. You wanna be with her. But, Master needs you in Hyrule."

"Not happening." Ganondorf said firmly. "I'm staying with her. I'll help her with whatever she's doing. I'm not leaving her."

"Fine!" Adia snapped. "Jeez..." She breathed deeply for a few moments. "Why am I so wound up?" She shook her head. "Look, I can't say what you can or can't do. But Master can. I'll let him decide."

"His decisions mean nothing to me."

"Yeah, I know." Then, Adia smiled. "You've got it bad, huh?"

"Yeah." Ganondorf agreed, laughing a little. He blushed. "Really bad." Adia sighed.

"I can't get in the way of love. That's why I haven't told Master that Malon's followed Link here."

"You knew?"

"Of course I did." Adia grinned, flashing her pointed teeth. "I only asked you to go back because I thought it'd fool him into thinking Malon was still there. But, you and Nerra... well, I'll figure something out."

"Sure you will. You're as bad as he is."

"Gee, thanks!" Adia giggled. "Listen. As far as I know, and as far as you and everyone else knows, Malon is home, safe and sound. Got it?"

"Of course." Ganondorf smiled. "Thank you, Adia."

"Sure." Adia smiled and clapped Ganondorf on the arm. "Go on, get reacquainted, you stud-muffin."

"That's a word I never expected to hear from Lakitu's apprentice."

"I'm my own person." Adia replied, before disappearing.

"Nerra, come over here." Ganondorf called to her. Nerra quickly trotted over to him. "Where are you staying?"

"Um... why?"

"I want to explain everything to you. It's best we do it somewhere quiet, and where you can be more relaxed."

"I... okay. This way."

--

"Ganondorf!" Link gasped as he walked in. "Wow, you followed Nerra all the way here?"

"As soon as I found out she was here." Ganondorf replied, grinning. "Couldn't bear to be away from her a moment longer."

"Good, good." Link looked at Nerra. "Told you, didn't I?"

"You... did." Nerra said quietly.

"Told here what?" Ganondorf asked.

"She asked me out a while ago. I told her that you were looking for her."

"Oh? Well, that's fine, I suppose."

"Yeah? The..." He lowered his voice. "Amnesia thing, right? Forgetting stuff."

"Right." Ganondorf nodded. "Nerra, should we go to your room to talk?"

"I suppose." Nerra agreed.

"Poor girl." Ganondorf sighed. "Must be hard."

"She'll get through it. With your help, of course."

"Of course." Ganondorf patted Link on the shoulder. "Also, I thought you'd be pleased to hear that I'm staying. I'm going to help you guys out."

"Cool." Link smiled. "I'm glad we've got your help. But, do you have a Maiden?"

"My Triforce of Power will keep me alive for now. Hopefully, Nerra will Maiden me when she remembers."

"Ganon, a quick word." Link said, dragging Ganondorf into the living room. "As I recall, you two weren't an item when she was with you."

"No. But, we had feelings. I could tell she did. So could everyone else. I mean, they called her Lady Nerra, as though she was my wife. I just hope the feelings haven't disappeared, along with her memories."

"True love conquers all, Ganon. You two should be fine."

"Thank you, Link."

--

"So... where to start?" Ganondorf wondered to himself in Nerra's room.

"Perhaps..." Nerra said, "What you and I were to each other."

"Master and servant." Ganondorf replied. "At least, on the outside. I was madly in love with you, and I'm pretty sure you had some feelings for me."

"What makes you think that?"

"Just... the way you were. That, and the rest of my army think so, too. Several thousands of creatures can't be wrong, can they? They called you Lady Nerra."

"I take it you were called Lord Ganondorf?"

"Correct."

"So, they were suggesting we were husband and wife."

"I believe so. And I doubt it was idle chat. We did spend alot of time together. You were essentially second-in-command. Everyone thought we liked each other. They were at least half-right." He smiled. Nerra found herself smiling back.

"I remember something like that. Some kind of wizard called me Lady once. It made me think that, too. I didn't mind the idea."

"Are you starting to remember?"

"Yes..." Nerra said quietly, as memories came flooding back to her.

**Lakitu**

"Oh, he did _not_ say that!" Lakitu growled at Adia. Adia stood perfectly still, in Lakitu's room. Lakitu was stood on his desk, his cloud floating beside it.

"He did, Master. I won't let him be apart from the woman he loves." Adia replied in a level tone.

"Jeez, Adia. I know, I know, he should be with her."

"Will she remember him?"

"Eventually. If she loved him as much as she seemed to, she'll remember pretty quick."

"She's shy around him, right now."

"That's her feelings, I'd guess. She has these feelings, but she can't remember why. It's gonna be tough for her."

"So, who'll watch Malon?"

"I dunno. Maybe Zelda."

"She can't, remember?"

"Hm? Oh, no... no. Dammit." Lakitu sighed. "I'll... someone. Maybe a Spirit, or a Great Fairy. Or maybe even Dunham."

"You know she won't be able to reach Link by herself, anway." Adia told her master. "And, everyone who could help her do what you tell them. She's not going anywhere."

"No, that's not my real worry. I mean, she had to stay behind, for her own sake. But, if Eo finds out that Link and his Maiden are apart, he might just decide to take care of Malon. Without a Maiden, Link will cease to be."

"Why does she have to stay in Hyrule?" Adia asked, frowning. "It's hardly fair."

"Fair or not, she has to."

"But, why?"

"Don't you worry about that. If you don't know, then you're an idiot." Lakitu sighed roughly. "Just... she can't go with Link, okay?"

"Fine." Adia sniffed. "I should get back to Termina, Master. Mitrea and Sereng will be wondering where I am."

"Yeah... just go. I need to think of someone to look after Malon." Lakitu closed his eyes in thought. "Hey, Adia." He said just before she teleported away.

"Yes?"

"Sorry I snapped at you. I'm just worried about Malon. I need her alive."

"Surely she'd be safer with Sonic and the others." Adia said, then teleported away before Lakitu could say another word.

"Lakitu, you idiot!" Majora roared as he burst through the door. "Why didn't you just tell her?"

"It's not her concern." Lakitu replied. "Mitrea and Luigi are all she needs to worry about."

"She's going to worry more, now! She's still a little girl, Lakitu! She feels more strongly about love and couples than you and I do! I wouldn't be surprised if she sends Malon to Mobius now."

"She won't. She won't disobey me."

"Jeez, Lakitu. You need to take some more relaxation time. Everything's got you wound so tight. I wish I hadn't told you about the visions."

"I needed to know, Majora. But yes, they are stressing me out. I've got to figure out a way to stop them."

"You can't stop them all, Lakitu. Some of things in those visions are going to happen."

"At the very least, I want to stop Mario and Link fighting when they meet again. Mitrea seems to be the cause, so I need to figure out a way to keep her from them. Maybe I should keep her here?"

"Don't be stupid. She'll know where she is, and she'll escape."

"Then, I need to find a way to get her on our side. Or at least, Adia's."

"Just... don't take your frustration out on others, okay, sweetie?" Majora said gently. "There's no need for it. Especially with Adia. She's a child, Lakitu, and she's doing her best. Don't go shouting at her for no reason."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, dear." Lakitu sighed, and banged his head on the desk. "I'm just worried. And stressed. And-"

"Yes, I know." Majora told him soothingly. "C'mon, let's go for a walk." Lakitu nodded in agreement, and stepped onto his cloud. He followed Majora out of the room.

-

"You've changed recently, Lakitu." Majora said as the two walked around the grounds of the Scholars' University.

"I have? How?"

"You've become... jumpier. More absent-minded. Shorter temper. I'm getting worried."

"I'm sorry, Majora. It's this whole Eo thing."

"Really? I'm not so sure. You've handled situations as bad as this. Remember the incident four hundred years ago? With the escapees from the Nether? You handled that brilliantly, and never once lost your cool."

"It's because we're having to go through the Eo thing _again_." Lakitu said, not looking at Majora.

"Perhaps. I guess that would be stressful." Majora admitted. "But, again, I'm not sure. You're normally such a calm person. Nothing's ever got you shocked. I think I've seen you lose your temper all of three times in the two thousand years I've known you."

"Maybe it's the culmination of the stress from all of those years?" Lakitu suggested. Majora raised an eyebrow doubtfully. Lakitu sighed. "Sometimes... I wake up, and I wonder how long I've got left."

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean... sometimes, I think I can see Death waiting for me, round the next corner. Outside the window. Behind me. Everywhere."

"Lakitu... you're barely-"

"I know how old I am, Majora, thank you. I don't need reminding."

"I understand. But you are only reaching your middle-age. Why would you be seeing Death?"

"I think... I don't have long left." He sighed again. "I dunno. Maybe it really is just the years catching up to me. Or maybe I've developed a conscience. I feel bad about everything I've done, throughout my years. I keep thinking that some day I'm going to have to pay for it. Maybe I'm getting over-worried about it, and paranoid, which is why I keep seeing Death every where. Maybe."

"Oh, Lakitu..." Majora moaned. "You've done alot of good things over the years. They outweigh the bad. You're not going to be punished for anything."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright." Lakitu looked around. "I doubt that'll ease the paranoia, though. At least not straight away. I just... keep thinking about it. And every time I do, all I can think about is leaving you, all alone."

"Lakitu..." Majora sighed. "It won't happen."

"I still worry."

"Well, don't."

"Majora... if something _does_ happen to me. Like, I die, or have to leave, or something... I want you to move on. Get someone else. Don't live your life hanging on to me. Okay?"

"I doubt that such a situation would arise, dearest."

"Majora." Lakitu said, half-sternly.

"But, if it does, then I'll do as you ask."

"Thank you."

"I still don't think it'll happen."

"I hope not. I don't want to leave you."

"It's that vision, isn't it? That I showed you. That's what got you so worked up." Majora stared directly at Lakitu, into his eyes. "Isn't it?"

"Y... yeah."

"I _knew_ I shouldn't have told you that part." Majora growled to himself. "Dammit, I'm sorry, Lakitu. I shouldn't have told you. Now I've got you all worked up. You were worried enough before, with what you said about Death, and I only made it worse."

"No, Majora..." Lakitu crooned softly. "You had to tell me. I needed to know. I need to know everything that could happen, so I can try to stop it. Don't feel bad."

"I can't help it. Just like you can't help your worrying." Majora smiled sadly. "I'll get over it. Like I'm sure you'll get over your worries."

"Yeah." Lakitu agreed, smiling in the same way. "We'll get through it." He sighed. "I hope."

"C'mon, Lakitu."

"I made a mess, didn't I?"

"Made a mess?"

"Bringing Eo back. Switching Link and Mario."

"I thought Eo did that? Or it was some fluke, or the worlds did it?"

"No, I did it. I told them that it was Eo's fault. I couldn't have taken any more blame at the time." Lakitu sighed. "But it's all my fault. I messed it all up."

"But, you did it for me. So I could remember who I was."

"I know, but... I could've thought of something else. I was just... so desperate. I missed you so much."

"I know, sweetheart. I know. And I don't blame you for what you did. I understand. I would have done the same."

"No, not you. You're far more level-headed than me. You would have found a different, better way."

"When I'm madly pining for my boyfriend who had his memory taken by the Lost Woods some five hundred years ago? Spending those five hundred years alone, wondering when he'd remember? No, I'd go crazy, too." He patted Lakitu on the shoulder. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

"But, I messed up their lives."

"And changed them for the better. Mario's finally got a lover. Link and Malon got together. They wouldn't have had the courage otherwise. Luigi is going to be a hero, something he's longed for. Daisy finally has something to occupy her, since she can only spend her time thinking. You've done people some good, Lakitu."

"I guess... but I shouldn't have interfered, really. God, and I helped Eo so much! It sickens me to think of it. I mean, my plans coincided with his alot, sure, but... I actually _helped_ him! Disgusting."

"You had to, Lakitu. You had to."

"I just can't help feeling that I should've just left everyone alone. Their lives wouldn't be so messed up, and we wouldn't be having to deal with Eo for a second time."

"Lakitu, you can't change that. Even with the Lines that you keep going on about. They can't change such a huge influence. What's done is done, and you're not to blame. Nobody _blames_ you, Lakitu, and you shouldn't either." Majora said, pulling his boyfriend into a hug.

"If... you say so, Majora." Lakitu closed his eyes, sinking further into Majora's hug.

"Lakitu?"

"Hm?"

"I love you." Majora whispered tenderly.

"I love you, too." Lakitu whimpered.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Luigi**

Luigi, Sereng and Mitrea stood at the beach, looking out to the ocean. Luigi checked his watch, which he had gone through great lengths to make it match Termina time, as an hour was somewhat quicker in Termina, less than fifty minutes in fact. The three were waiting for Adia, who had claimed she had some 'urgent business' to attend to.

"Maybe we should just have a picnic." Luigi said to the others. "No looking for this shapeshifter."

"It's the job she set us, Luigi." Sereng, as Okami, said to him. "I don't think she'd want you slacking."

"Did you hear her whining when she left? She was upset that her vacation had been interrupted, and she looked real angry. I want to cheer her up."

"Let's talk to her about it when she arrives."

"Should I go talk to the Pirates?" Mitrea offered. "I'm a woman, after all. They won't lock me away or anything."

"Let's just wait until Adia gets here." Luigi told her with a half-sigh. He nudged the picnic basket with his foot. "We're having a picnic, one way or another. Whether we work, and then have the picnic, or just have the picnic, is up to Adia."

"You like her that much?" Mitrea asked. Luigi stammered for a moment.

"W-well... um... she's kinda in charge, I guess. She gave me this mission. Plus, she's on vacation, so... I just want her to relax. I figure her job's stressful, so I want to help her relax. I know all about stressing jobs."

"How many did you have, again?"

"A few. Carpenter, plumber, cleaner... stuff."

"All at once?"

"Well, no. But, plumbing is demanding and stressful sometimes."

"Did you earn alot?"

"Kinda. My brother had a saying about plumbing."

"What was that?"

"He said 'plumbers never sleep on the job unless we're being paid by the hour'."

"Really? Do you really do that?"

"Not really." Luigi chuckled. "It just means that plumbers don't get much work, very often. Or at least, we didn't. But whenever we were paid by the hour, we dragged it out as long as we could, to earn more."

"That's kinda cheating."

"Kinda, but we needed it." He grinned. "We didn't stretch it too-"

"Guys!" Adia's voice called from behind them. Turning, the three saw her jogging over. "Sorry I took so long. My master had a bit of a mouthful to spit at me."

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." She smiled. "So, what's happening? Are we having that picnic?"

"Yeah." Luigi nodded. "But, you seemed stressed earlier, when you had to leave, so I thought that maybe we should just have the picnic, and not look for that shapeshifter. You know... help you wind down?" He shrugged.

"Aww... you'd do that for me?" Luigi nodded again. "That's so sweet of you!" She giggled, doing a sort of dance on the spot. "But no, business comes first. Thanks for the offer."

"I figured you'd say no." Sereng said, grinning. "You seem like the work-before-play type. So, how're we doing this?"

"Well..." Adia thought for a moment. "Mitrea should go see the Pirates. Luigi and Okami should go and see the guy who lives in that hut." She pointed at the hut that stood on a platform, a small distance out to see. "I'll go see the Zoras."

"Alright. But, will the guy know anything?"

"Who knows? Only one way to find out. Chop chop, people. There's a picnic here, just waiting to be eaten! If we're not all back here in... ooh... two hours, then whoever's here should go looking. Okay?" Without waiting for a response, she jogged toward a small rock arch, muttering 'Zoras this way'. Luigi, Sereng and Mitrea looked at each, then shrugged.

"Take care, Mitrea. If you're not here in two hours, then I'll come looking for you." Luigi said to the girl.

"Wouldn't it be safer to send Adia? I mean, the Pirates hate men, so..." Mitrea looked out to the Pirate's fortress.

"_I'll_ come looking for you. I found you unconscious on the beach, I let you stay at the inn. I feel like it's my responsibility to look out for you." He told her. Mitrea smiled, blushing a little.

"Thank you." She murmured. "You... you guys get going. I'll put the basket somewhere safe, so no-one can take it, alright?"

"Sure." Luigi and Sereng waded out into the water, then started swimming toward the hut. Mitrea picked up the basket, and watch the pair swim. As soon as they entered the hut, she turned into a dog, dug a hole in the sand and buried the picnic basket.

"Good choice." A voice said behind her. With a yelp, Mitrea turned around. Adia stood there. "Dogs are good at digging. Foxes are, too, actually. A dolphin for the swim?" Mitrea frowned, and bared her fangs. She took a few paces back. "Now, now, don't be afraid. I've seen weirder things. Change back, Mitrea." Mitrea glared for a moment, then did so.

"I'm not afraid. I can change into anything I want, and destroy you."

"Oh, you're afraid, Mitrea." Adia said, walking toward her. Mitrea took another step back. "See? You're afraid of being shunned again. Of being chased away."

"N-no I'm not! I've got... someone..." She didn't dare mention Eo. _If I do, then they'll know who I am. But, Adia already knows. What do I do?_

"Hey, do me a favour?"

"Wh-what?"

"Can you change into a bird and sit on my hand? Or shoulder?"

"Why? What for?"

"Ever since I was a kid, I've always want to have a bird sit on me. I dunno why. I just really like birds, and they always run away when people get near them. I think it'd be awesome to have a bird sit on me. Please?"

"You're not... freaked out? Sickened?"

"I said I've seen worse. I'd rather be next to a shapeshifter than my master in a bad mood. Seriously. Besides, shapeshifting isn't a bad thing. I think it's cool."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm crazy jealous, too. I mean, I'd have to spend decades learning a spell to transform into other animals, but you can do it naturally." Adia frowned a little. "It's kinda annoying." Mitrea transformed into a small bird, similar to a robin, and flew into the air. Adia smiled and held out a hand. Mitrea flitted around her head for a moment, then settled on her outstretched palm. Adia grinned, and giggled happily. "Awesome..." She murmured. "Thank you, Mitrea." Mitrea sat for a moment more, then hopped about on Adia's hand, before flying away and changing back to her elf form.

"You're the only person besides... him, to not hate me." Mitrea said meekly. "Thank you."

"Luigi wouldn't hate you. Or Okami."

"I'm not changing in front of them!" Mitrea gasped, shaking. "They... they're supposed to look for a shapeshifter. What if they think I'm the one? They'll attack me! They'll... put me to sleep again! Or kill me! Or worse! I don't.. I don't want them to know."

"Fine. But, you can trust Luigi. There's bound to be a point when he catches you changing. He won't hate you. He might distrust you for a while, but if you explain everything to him, he'll calm down."

"I'd like to put it off for as long as possible. I'll go see them Pirates now." She waded into the water. She contemplated turning into a dolphin, then decided to turn into a penguin. She swam toward the Pirate's fortress.

"But I love dolphins!" Adia called after her. Mitrea grinned mentally.

--

An hour and a half later, the four were back on the shore. Luigi and Sereng were wringing their shirts. Mitrea and Adia were a further distance away, behind a tree, drying their own clothes. Adia wanted to use magic, but she knew that Mitrea would instantly assume she was a Scholar. A short while later, the girls returned to the boys.

"Where's the picnic?" Sereng asked. Mitrea dug in the sand for a while, then pulled the basket out.

"I hope there's no sand in it..." She said, handing it to Luigi. Luigi opened the basket, and looked inside.

"It's fine." He said happily, pulling the blanket out. Adia and Sereng took it, and laid it on the floor. Luigi and Mitrea laid out the food. The four sat down, and ate happily. After a short while, Adia stopped eating, and frowned.

"Something wrong?" Luigi asked her.

"Jeez... what part of 'vacation' does Master Lakitu not understand?" The pale girl muttered angrily.

"Lakitu?" Luigi asked, frowning.

"Sorry, guys. I've gotta go." She stood up. "If I'm not back before you guys finish, then just head back to the inn. Don't wait for me." She waved, though the wave didn't have the usual cheeriness to it, then jogged away.

"She needs a new job." Sereng said. "For one, she has to call her boss 'Master', second, she doesn't get a real vacation."

"I'm gonna take her to the swamp tomorrow." Luigi declared. "I heard it's beautiful, and there's a boat ride. She _needs_ to have some fun time."

"Luigi," Mitrea said with a grin, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you fancied her." Luigi laughed at that.

"Not my type. But, I do like her. She's an okay girl. Almost a friend. Perhaps, if we spent some time together, we could be proper friends. You like her, right, Mitrea?"

"Yeah. I think she's a real friend."

"Then, I'll definitely do this for her."

"Why?"

"If your friend is miserable, then you'll be unhappy, too. I can't have that." He munched on one of the bacon rolls he'd made.

"You're such a nice guy." Mitrea told him, smiling. "It's a shame there aren't more people like you."

"Hey, am I a hat-rack? Don't I count?" Sereng asked, though he was grinning.

"You're nice, too, Okami." Mitrea said.

"Good." Sereng bit into a sandwich. "Glad to hear it."

**Adia**

"What _now_?!" Adia asked her master, Lakitu.

"What's with the angry tone?" Lakitu asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I was enjoying a picnic. And, I was trying to work a few things out. Can't I have a few hours without being bugged?"

"Hey, this is part of the job. You don't like it, quit. Go back home. I'll get someone else."

"Master... no, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We've all been short-tempered recently."

"So, why did you summon me?"

"You caught Mitrea transforming. How did she take it?"

"She was terrified. Eventually, I calmed her, and she's still okay with me."

"Good. How're you gonna get Luigi to catch her?"

"I _was_ working on that. Just as you telepathed me, in fact."

"Right, right." Lakitu sighed. "I'm sorry I keep calling you. But, telepathy can be very distracting, so we can't exactly converse that way. Especially when you're with them."

"I know, I know."

"So, how's Luigi doing?"

"He's going all-out for Mitrea. Pretty much. He said he'd fetch her from the Pirates fortress if she wasn't back in time. He said she's his responsibility to look after. His aura is wild. I'm guessing Mitrea kinda reminds him of Daisy. That's why he's so super-nice to her."

"He's super-nice to you, too."

"Yeah, but that's only because I'm friends with Mitrea."

"Interesting... if Luigi keeps this up, then stays friends with Mitrea when he sees her transform, we won't have to worry about Eo reclaiming her."

"Yup."

"Can you keep this going?"

"Of course. It'd be a piece of cake if I didn't get interrupted every few hours."

"Give that a rest, Adia. You know I have to keep on top of everything."

"Keep on top of Mario, and Link, and Daisy, and Nerra. Keep on top of the Princesses. I've got the Mitrea business in the bag."

"Adia... I know you're acting like you're on vacation, but I'm starting to think you really believe you are."

"I take my acting seriously." Adia replied stiffly. "I learned that from you. Just because you're worried about how everything's going, doesn't mean you have to nit-pick at my every little action."

"Hey, don't talk to me like that. Don't you realise how important all of this is? Everything that's happening has to be kept in balance."

"I know full well how important this is. I'm doing everything I can in Termina to sway Mitrea over to us. I can't do that when you keep bugging me, and moaning at every little thing. I'm _trying_ to _work_ here, Master, and you're messing up my concentration."

"Now, listen here!" Lakitu snapped, leaping to his feet. He scowled at Adia for a moment, then chuckled. "I taught you too well, Adia. You're just like me. Fine, I'll only bug you when I need to. I know you can handle it, but I worry."

"Because I'm still a child? Because I'm new to this? Master, you've taught me almost everything you know. Magic, combat, information."

"I know, Adia. Just... forgive a paranoid tortoise for worrying about his student. I wouldn't want anything happening to you."

"Oh, I know, Master..." Adia sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have a go at you like that. Forgive me?"

"Of course. You should get back, before they finish their picnic."

-

"Hey, Anju." Adia said as she walked into the inn. "Are they back yet?"

"Mm-hm." Anju replied, looking at some papers. "Upstairs." Adia thanked her, and trotted to her shared room.

"Guys?" She asked as she walked inside. Sereng and Luigi, sat on their beds, looked up at her.

"Welcome back. Give your boss a good talking-to?" Sereng asked. Adia grinned and nodded. "Good. You need a new job, Adia. One with less stress and worry."

"I'll take you on a boat trip tomorrow, Adia." Luigi said. "That should calm you right down."

"Thanks." Adia sat down. "Say, where's Mitrea?"

"She said she wanted to relax on the beach a little longer. She said she wanted to think about some stuff, and clear her head. I'm not surprised, after washing up on the beach like that. She hasn't told me how she ended up like that. I guess it must have been something bad."

"She's by herself?" Adia asked. Luigi nodded. Adia closed her eyes, casting her senses to the beach, looking for Mitrea's aura. She gasped. "Luigi, get to the beach, right now!"

"What? Why?"

"Now!" Adia snapped, leaping to her feet. "Quickly, quickly, now, now now!"

"I-I'm going!!" Luigi dashed from the room.

"What's wrong?" Sereng asked.

"I need to see Master!" Adia said shakily, then teleported. Sereng sat there, looking bemused.

-

"Master! HUGE PROBLEM!" Adia screamed as she burst into Lakitu's room. She gasped, stumbled, and fell over. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were..." Majora was in the room, with Lakitu. Lakitu had been kissing him, and Majora was taking off his shirt.

"No worries." Majora replied politely, while Lakitu frowned. "What's the problem?"

"Eo! In Termina!" Adia leapt to her feet.

"...and?" Lakitu asked, sounding concerned. "Where, exactly?"

"Th-the beach... and... Mitrea's there..."

"Why is Mitrea at the beach? Is she alone?" Adia nodded. "Why?"

"She said she wanted to think. I checked, and she was alone. Then, Eo appeared there. I've sent Luigi to try and do... something. Hopefully convince her to stay, but..."

"It's too early." Majora sighed. "Luigi doesn't have the influence yet."

"Right. I'm so sorry, Master!" Adia wailed, tears gathering. "I... I let you down..."

"No, no, you didn't." Lakitu said soothingly. "We couldn't have predicted this... so soon. I need to check where he isn't. See which Eo has her. You go back, and see what you can do about it. Get to the beach in Termina, try and stop Mitrea going over to him."

"Gone!" Adia said, teleporting.

**Mitrea**

"Mitrea..." A voice whispered. Mitrea turned, then gasped with happiness.

"Master!"

"I am here for you, Mitrea." Eo said gently. He reached out with a hand, and stroked her face. "I am sorry it took me so long."

"It's alright, Master. I'm glad you came at all." Mitrea replied, crying with happiness.

"I forgot everything when I was reborn. It seems, every time I am reborn, I must remember everything anew. But, I have finally remembered you. I promised to come for you, and come I have."

"Thank you, Master. Thank you so, so, much."

"Do you still wish to help me unite the worlds?"

"Of course, Master. I will do anything you ask."

"Thank you, Mitrea. That makes me happy. Have you been preparing this world for me?"

"Oh... no, Master. I'm sorry. I planned to, but these people... they were so nice to me, I... forgot. I... I'm so sorry."

"Shhh.... it's alright. I understand you wanting to have good times, after being in a slumber for thousands of years."

"_Thousands_?!" Mitrea gasped. "I slept that long?"

"Tell me, who are these people who made you so happy?"

"Luigi, Okami and Adia. They treated me as a normal person. Luigi and Okami were supposed to defeat me, but they don't know who I am."

"Good. I am pleased that you are unharmed."

"Master, if I may be so bold..."

"You may."

"Might you be able to spare them? I don't want them being hurt."

"I understand. I can make no promises, however. Should they fight me, I will retaliate."

"I understand, Master. Thank you so much. You are merciful."

"Does Adia know of your gift?"

"She does. She thinks the same as you. That it is a gift."

"Another who does not despise you? I am pleased to hear that. I feared that she would also try to harm you. And of course, I would not allow any harm to befall you." He paused, then frowned. "Wait, Adia... I know that name. I have heard it before."

"She... works for someone, somewhere. She calls him 'Master', and he keeps disturbing her, as she is on vacation here."

"Did she ever name her master?"

"I believe... she said Lakitu."

"**LAKITU!!**" Eo exploded. "The Scholar?"

"Scholar?!" Mitrea gasped. "Adia is... a Scholar? Oh, no... she-she fooled me! But...why didn't she try to imprison me again?"

"The Scholars have changed, Mitrea. They will not imprison you. They do not wish to."

"Then... what? What will they do?"

"They will use you. They have powers, much like mine. They can control people. They will control you to do their bidding."

"No! I... is Adia controlling me? Will she make me..."

"No, Mitrea. You are not under a spell. I will make sure those cruel Scholars will not touch you ever again. Come with me, Mitrea."

"Yes, Master. Of course."

"Mitrea!" Luigi's voice called.

"Luigi!" Mitrea gasped, turning. Luigi ran up to her, and grabbed her shoulders.

"Are you alright? What is this... thing?" He pointed at Eo. "Is it trying to hurt you? Want me to kill it for you?"

"No!" Mitrea shrieked. "He is... my Master. He looked after me when all others shunned me."

"Shunned you? Why?"

"I am a shapeshifter. I am the one the Scholars told you to defeat."

"What?!" Luigi let go of her, and stepped back. "Why... you lied to me?"

"No, I didn't! I just... didn't want to tell you. I like you, Luigi, and I didn't want to have to fight you..."

"But..."

"The Scholars are cruel people. They put me in an eternal sleep, even though I begged them not to. They didn't offer me a deal, like working for them, or anything. They just put me to sleep."

"They... didn't give you a chance?"

"No. My Master wants to unite all the worlds, Luigi. He'll rule that world, and make sure that there are no more wars, no more people hurting each other. The Scholars didn't want that. Wars in other worlds are what give them purpose. They act like heroes, stopping these wars. They wanted the wars to continue, so they can get their little pleasures."

"Is this true?" Luigi asked, turning to Eo.

"It is." Eo replied. "I have seen deep into the Scholar's minds. All they desire is to be revered and feared by all. They will achieve this by any means necessary. Many of them even start wars, so they can achieve heroism. I will not stand for this. I will unite the worlds, and ensure that no more wars are had."

"Luigi... I must go with my Master. I cannot stay here."

"Why not?"

"Adia is a Scholar. She wants to use me. I won't... can't... let that happen. I have to go."

"I... understand. Mitrea's master..." He turned to Eo.

"Eo, please."

"Eo. Take good care of her. If I hear that she has been hurt, I will come after you. I swear it." Eo laughed.

"You do not have the strength to hurt me, let alone defeat me. But worry not. No harm will come to Mitrea. However, if you have such concern for her safety, why not come with me? Then, you will be able to keep watch at all times. What say you, Luigi?"

"I..." Luigi considered. "But, will I have to fight Adia at some point?"

"Most likely. But, remember that Adia is wanting to control Mitrea for her own selfish ends."

"Yeah." Mitrea said. "She asked me to turn into a bird and sit on her hand, just because she thought it would be nice. I am _not_ a plaything for people's pleasures! Luigi, please come with me? Look after me?"

"I'm... not sure." Luigi sighed. "I'm not good at much. I don't know if I can protect you from the Scholars, if they're as powerful as you say."

"Luigi." Eo said to him, resting a black hand on his shoulder. "Fear not. I understand your concerns. You are correct in that the Scholars are powerful. But I, too, am powerful. You can also be powerful. I understand you very well. Your desire to be a hero, to help others, but you worry that you do not have the strength. This worry worsened by constantly sitting in the shadow of your famous brother."

"You know my brother?"

"Of course. Ask not how I know. It is a long and tedious explanation. Understand, Luigi, that I once had your concerns. I feared that I might not have the strength to unite the worlds. But, it is my _destiny_ to do so. To end war and suffering. Come with me, Luigi, and I will help you become strong. I will teach you, train you. By helping me, you can help all life. You _can_ be a hero, Luigi. Come with me, and I will help you on your path."

"Please, Luigi?" Mitrea asked.

"Of course." Luigi nodded. "If it means I can be strong, and finally stand by myself, I will come. Please, Eo, teach me. Help me."

"I will." Eo replied.

"Do I have to call you Master, too?"

"If you so desire. I do not mind. Let us go." A large black portal opened. "Come, Mitrea, Luigi." Luigi and Mitrea nodded. Mitrea took hold of Luigi's hand, and squeezed it gently.

"Thank you, Luigi." She said softly.

"You're welcome." Luigi replied. The two then stepped into the portal, Mitrea first.

"Luigi!" Adia called as she raced toward them. "NOO!!!" Luigi and Mitrea disappeared, and the portal shrank to nothing. "EO! Bring them back! Give back Luigi! What're you planning to do with him? Bait for Mario?"

"Silence, White Witch." Eo hissed at her. "Tell your 'master' that I have the brother of Mario. Let him know that Luigi is in my power, and I will do what I wish with him. Let Lakitu worry and fear for the plumber." With a maniacal laugh, Eo disappeared in a flash of light.

"Luigi... no..." Adia fell to her knees in shock. "How... could I have let this happen?"

**Lakitu**

"Master..." Adia sobbed to Lakitu in his room. "Master, I'm so, so, so, so sorry..." She was sat in a chair, hugging her knees, crying. "I'm so sorry."

"Adia, calm down." Lakitu, clearly trying to keep his voice even. "It is as Majora warned... I can't stop _all_ of the visions. And now, one of the visions I feared most has happened."

"It's all my fault. I should have got there sooner."

"Calm down, Adia. It's happened. You couldn't have done anything about it."

"Can we... alter the Lines?"

"No." Lakitu sighed. "I've already tried alter the Lines with other Eo-related incidents. Eo is beyond their control. As evil itself, it stands to reason. Evil will always exist, no matter where and when."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising. It won't change anything. For now, I want you to take Sereng home. Make some excuses to Anju, if you think you should. Then, take some time to yourself, to calm down." Adia remained sat. "Go, Adia."

"Yes, Master..." Adia hiccuped. She teleported. Lakitu sighed. He sat on his cloud for a moment, in silence. Then, he roared, picked up a large book, and threw it across the room.

"**SHIT!!!**" He roared. "The _one_ thing I wanted to avoid! Eo getting Mitrea back! And it's happened!" He threw another book. "I'm so useless! I should've done something to keep Mitrea from Eo's senses! I should've... argh!!" The room started trembling. Lakitu's eyes began to glow, as the facade of Lakitu crumbled. The true Lakita Tuan was beginning to surface. Lakita Tuan, the rider of Cirrus, and deadly sorcerer, was yet another facade. A fake face, to keep the true Lakita at bay. The Lakita Tuan that most knew was a calm, powerful, influential person. The true Lakita was a monster. Rivalling Eo in sheer cruelty, Lakita would think nothing of destroying others to satisfy himself. He would obliterate something, or someone, if it so much as looked at him in the wrong way. His eyes turned red, and his teeth sharpened. His shell grew spikes. His glasses disappeared in the powerful aura; he didn't need them anyway. The room shook more violently, books and ornaments tumbling from shelves, the shelves themselves falling shortly after. The whole of Scholar University shook, too. Throughout the University, a few individuals recognised immediately what was happening. Majora included. He burst into the room, and gasped at what he saw. Lakita, looking much like a miniature Bowser, stood in the centre of the room, his mere aura disintegrating the furniture around him.

"Lakitu!" Majora cried, rushing forward. Lakita scowled at him. His aura stopped Majora in his tracks, and his stare forced Majora to his knees. "Lakitu... stop this."

"Silence." Lakita said in a calm voice that didn't match his appearance. "I have failed to stop the worst. Naught else matters. I will end it all. If there are no worlds for Eo to conquer, then he will fail. I will not allow this fiasco to continue!"

"Lakitu, no!"

"I will destroy all!"

"Even me?"

"Even..." Lakita paused. His face grew confused.

"Even me, Lakitu? Would you destroy me?"

"I..." The aura began to weaken.

"Please, Lakitu... stop this. Think how sad you will be, when you realise that you have destroyed all that you care about. Please, Lakitu." The aura vanished, and Lakita transformed back to Lakitu. He laid down on the table, and cried.

"I'm sorry, Majora." He whispered. "I didn't mean to... become _that_."

"Shush, my love." Majora walked forward, and stroked Lakitu gently. "Tell me what has happened." Lakitu sat up, and began telling Majora of Luigi and Mitrea.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Mario and Daisy**

"An army?" Mario asked. Pent nodded gravely.

"I sent a messenger, but they haven't returned." He told Mario. The two stood in Pent's study. "I'm worried that they mean to attack."

"Do you think Eo's behind it?"

"Could be." Pent sighed. "I'm considering sending Erk and Nino to investigate."

"What about me?"

"You need to keep practising. Magic is a useful art. It will help. Erk and Nino can handle themselves for now." Mario nodded. "How are you doing?"

"I've learned Fire and Thunder. Daisy has, too. She's learned Lightning, too. Even though it's Light magic. How'd that happen?"

"She used to be a Light magic user. Somehow, she can use Light and Anima magic."

"Well, that's useful. I'll go practise, then." Mario left Pent's study, and headed to his room.

-

"Elfire!" Mario snapped, attempting to conjure the spell. Nothing happened. Mario sighed, and tried again. "Damn, this spell's hard."

_You will learn._ Vahlia murmured in his mind. _Your thoughts lack nobility. I understand that it is hard to think noble thoughts when you are trying to burn._

"Thanks. Let's hope I get it soon. The sooner I learn, the sooner I can kick Eo's butt and go home."

_Perhaps your female form will fare better?_

"Maybe. I'll try it later." Mario read through a paragraph in the Elfire tome again. He snapped the book shut. "Elfire!" A normal Fire spell spat out of his hand. Mario scowled, and put the tome on the table. A giggle from the door startled him.

"You're good, Mario." Eraf said. "But, you're not brilliant. You've never used magic without an item before. Don't expect to get it straight away."

"I know, dear." Mario sighed. "I just want to learn as fast as I can."

"You'll get it, don't worry." Eraf walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're a Hero, remember? Heroes never fail."

"Gee, thanks." Mario smiled, and wrapped his arm around Eraf's shoulders. "I think I'm due for a break. Fancy entertaining me?"

"Sure." Eraf grinned, blushing. "I've always wanted the man you... I'm excited." The two walked toward the bed. "Don't let me down."

--

Later that day, Mario stood at the gates of Castle Reglais. He could see the army, still advancing. He could also see Erk and Nino walking toward them. The army was scarily close. Mario gripped the handle of his sword, which Eraf had teleported from their apartment on Earth. He could sense a fight coming. Myst stood next to him, holding a sword that Pent had given her.

"You feel it, too?" She asked Mario, looking at him. He nodded. "Those guys aren't about to walk away. They're within running distance. Close enough to start an attack. Luckily, I've been switching between Daisy and myself to train in both swords and magic. It's been tough, learning both. I'm confident that my skills stand up to yours."

"My 'skills' suck." Mario told her. "Everything I've done was thanks to my Maiden."

"Maria's better for fighting multiple opponents. She's more nimble, and athletic. Perhaps you should change?"

"Later. With a bit of luck, transforming will shock the enemy, and I'll get a few cheap blows in."

"Maybe." Myst grinned. "Erk and Nino are there." She said, looking forward. Erk and Nino were talking to the man who led the army. "My muscles are tingling. This won't end well."

"I give it another five seconds. Then, we'll have to fight."

"Four. Three."

"Two. Already?" Mario gasped, as the leader and another attacked Erk and Nino. The two swiftly dodged the swords, then attacked with magic.

"Pent!" Myst called into the castle.

"Go!" Pent's voice called. Myst nodded, and dashed forward. Mario looked back into the castle, wondering if Pent was going to help. "I'll gather some Mages. Go, Mario!" Mario ran after Myst.

--

The scene was already a full-blown battle when Mario reached. Erk and Nino were stood back-to-back, throwing spells at the army who had circled them. Myst was ducking and diving under swords and spears, hacking relentlessly at the soliders. Mario threw a heavy fist into the face of a nearby soldier, then cut him across the chest.

"Stick by me!" Myst called from somewhere in the carnage. Mario fought his way forward, evading weapons, slashing at soliders, slinging spells about, trying to find Myst.

"Where are you?" He called.

"Here!" Myst called. Mario saw a soldier fly high into the air. Despite the chaos around him, Mario grinned.

_Quite a beacon._ He mused, and continued to slash his way to Myst. He reached her a minute later.

"Took you long enough." Myst scolded jokily.

"Traffic." Mario replied. He didn't understand why he was joking during such a big battle. "You okay?"

"Fine." Myst said . "I've been back and forthing between me and Daisy. It's good to blast a bit of magic at them, too."

"Sure is." Mario grinned, zapping a soldier with Thunder. The two fell silent, save for the cries of a magic spell, and the grunting as they attacked with their swords. After a further minute, Myst complained about the sword she had been given, saying it was too long and heavy. Mario chuckled at that. Casting his eyes around, he saw Erk and Nino fending off soldiers with expert accuracy and skill. He could tell that they had been in situations like this before. Mario also saw Pent rushing forward, casting Elfire. About twelve other Mages followed him, using various spells. Eraf was nowhere to be seen, thank goodness. Mario didn't want her to get involved, and get hurt. His thought was distracted by a sword slicing dangerously close to his nose. His first thought was the safety of his moustache. He leapt back, and attacked the nearest person he thought could be responsible. He heared someone barking orders, and someone else arguing with them. Two arrows plummeted at him from above. Mario focused for a moment, then swung his sword at the air. Green scythes, made of energy, shot up at the arrows, slicing them into pieces. Mario smiled. He could do the scythe-attack thing without a Maiden! Feeling more confident, he turned back to the soldiers, and send a wave of green scythes at them. They fell apart. Mario turned again, and sent more scythes. His scythe-action was stopped by someone attacking him at close range, forcing him to block. He blocked with only one hand, and use the other to blast them with Fire. Myst was flipping around like some hyperactive ninja, cutting down all who stood too close. Erk and Nino continued to masterfully cast magic, as did Pent and the other Mages. The fight was clearly in their favour. As the soldiers scuttled around the battlefield, Mario lost his vision of the others. He stood alone now, facing off against this opposing army.

"For Anandia!" One of them cried, swinging a huge axe at Mario. Mario casually stepped out of the way, then cut him down. Who was Anandia? Many of the other soldiers were saying something similar. 'Fight for Anandia!' or 'Victory to Anandia!' or 'Anandia rules all!'. Mario didn't have time to ponder, however, as more soldiers converged on him. How many were there? The army didn't seem so big from a distance.

_If only I could be Mario and Maria at the same time. If only we could both fight._ He thought to himself.

_But, you can!_ Vahlia's voice said. _I can make it so. Do you wish for me to?_

_Please. We need all the help we can get._

_Then it shall be so._ With a flash of light, Mario and Maria seperated. Maria stood next to Mario, in her black clothes, flexing her sword. The longer, thinner version of Mario's Fairy Sword. She grinned at him.

"I _am_ taller than you." She said, before dashing off to fight. Mario sighed, and continued his own battles. The army was definitely thinning. The bodies of the dead made it difficult to move, but Mario and the others were definitely winning. Feeling more confident, Mario renewed and re-energised his attack, shooting green scythes all over. A shriek made him pause. It was from a girl. There weren't any females in this army, as far as he had seen. Then again, when a man dies, they make strange noises. Or had Mario hit one of his own allies? He cast his eyes about, and they widened. Nino squatted on the floor, clutching her face. Erk towered over her, casting enough spells for the both of them. One of the Mages that Pent had brought dashed over, with a staff in his hand. He cast some form of spell, possibly a healing spell. He stared at Nino, looking quite bemused. He cast the spell again. He frowned. Mario turned his head away, and forced himself to focus on the enemies around him.

--

Later, when all the soldiers had been vanquished, everyone crowded around Nino. She was on her knees now, still clutching her face.

"I can't seem to heal it, Lord Pent." The Mage who had tried to heal her said. "I don't understand it." Mario sighed.

"I think I might have done it." He said. "I can fire green scythes, made from energy, from my sword. I think some of them must have hit her."

"Let me see, Nino." Erk said, gripping her wrists. He moved her hands aside. Nino's face was covered in cuts. They weren't bleeding, indicating that the healing had worked to some effect. "Oh, my..." Erk gasped. "Are... are you okay?"

"It... hurts." Nino said weakly. "Mario, how could you?" She snapped at him. "How could you?"

"I-I didn't mean to!" Mario protested. "I couldn't see you! I just shot out at random. I was sure the scythes would hit enemy soliders. I mean, I was completely surrounded!"

"Let's talk about this at the castle." Pent told them. "I'll get someone to take care of the bodies. Come on, everyone."

"Wow, what a bloodbath." A voice, familiar to Mario, said. Everyone turned to the owner of the voice. "And you even attacked your own team-mate." The person said, and tutted. "Mario, I thought better of you."

"Link?!" Mario asked, shocked. "Why're you here?"

"Hm?" Link looked at him, then shrugged. "Just doing as I'm told."

"And what might that be?" Maria asked, standing next to Mario.

"Hey, you two have seperated? Cool." Link grinned. "Well, this makes my job a little harder."

"What job?"

"Can you two go back to being one again? It'll make things easier for me."

"What do you have to do?" Maria repeated.

"Oh, just kill you." Link replied nonchalantly. "It should've been easy, but now I've got two to fight against."

"Kill us?!" Mario cried. "Why?"

"Eo's orders."

"Eo." Mario growled. "There's no way you've joined him."

"I sure have. He's got the right idea, you know."

"Right idea!" Mario hissed. "Have you gone mad?"

"No, you're the mad one. Look, Eo wants to rule all the worlds, right? Make all the worlds into one world, and rule that combined world. Don't you think it'd be awesome? Everything bows to Eo, does what Eo says. No-one fights without his say so. That means no war. C'mon, it's a good thing."

"Eo is an evil, heartless beast. What d'you think he'd make his subjects do? He'd enslave them." Mario readied his sword. Link shrugged.

"Well, he won't do it to me. I'll be his peace-keeper. Hey, why not join me, Mario? We work well together, you know."

"Forget it!"

"Guys, back to the castle." Maria said to them. They all shuffled away.

"You, too, Maria." Mario said.

"What? Nuh-uh. I'm fighting with you."

"No, go with them. I'm gonna take Link on myself, one-on-one. If you help, it'd be an unfair fight."

"I don't think we need to be _fair_ to a servant of Eo."

"Just go, Maria."

"Fine. Don't get yourself killed." She stalked away.

"Link, for your sake, this better be a joke."

"Hah! No chance. Join me, Mario. Together, we can make sure that no-one ever hurts their own kind ever again."

"Never!" Mario hissed, then leapt at Link. Link drew his sword, and leapt back. He kicked a foot at Mario, forcing him to jump back. Link planted that foot on the floor, then sprang at Mario, swinging his sword down. Mario side-stepped, stabbing a fist at Link. Link stopped his run, and parried Mario's fist, then swung his sword at him again. Mario crouched, and span on the floor, lashing his leg at Link. Link leapt, and Mario brought his sword up at him. Link batted it away with his own sword, landed, and took a step back. Mario leapt to his feet, and ran at Link again. He span a little, swiping his sword at Link. Link stepped back. Mario put a foot in front of him, and span again, kicking his foot out this time. Link stepped back again. Again, Mario put a foot in front, and span, kicking his foot. Again, Link stepped back. This time, Link thrust his sword forward. Mario had to quickly deflect it with his own sword, but received a fist to the face. He stumbled backwards. Link was suddenly behind him, stabbing him the back with his elbow. Mario thanked his lucky stars that it wasn't Link's sword. He leapt forward, rolled, turned, and leapt back at Link. The two swords clashed. Mario swung high, at Link's face. Link blocked, then quickly brought his sword round in a sweep at Mario's stomach. Mario deflected this, his sword swining upwards, then brought it vertically down at Link's shoulder. Link shrugged to one side, then swept a kick at Mario. Mario kicked the foot back, then punched Link in the stomach. Link doubled over for a moment, in which Mario brought his sword sideways at him. Link fell, and rolled to one side. Mario caught up to him before he could stand, and kicked him in the side of the head. Link was on his feet quickly, and grinned.

"Wow, we're so even. No wonder Lakitu chose us to fight Eo." Link said.

"Why are you with Eo?"

"Like I said, I agree with his ideas. That, and I'm sick of Lakitu and the other Scholars manipulating us. Making _us_ correct Lakitu's mistake. It's not fair. Besides that, my most important reason was for Malon."

"Malon?"

"As long as I'm working for Lakitu, she's in danger. If I'm with Eo, she's safe."

"But... Link..."

"No buts! I'm doing this for Malon!" Link scowled. "I'm not risking her. Or our child."

"You've got a kid?"

"Not yet. Malon's pregnant. I'm not taking any risks with her. I will _not_ allow her or our unborn baby to be put at risk because Lakitu messed up. Surely you understand how I feel, Mario?" Mario paused, thinking. He thought of Eraf. The chance that she might be pregnant now, after he and her having sex with no protection. He shook his head.

"Eo is ruthless. He has no love for anything. He'll use you until he's satisfied, then throw you aside. Then what'll happen to Malon? And your child? It'll probably be born by then. What will he do it? Think about it, Link. All you've done is put off what's bound to happen. Prolonged the inevitable."

"The longer I can be with Malon, the better. Working for Lakitu, I can't be with her. At all, until Eo is gone. And all the while, she could be attacked and killed by Eo or one his followers."

"He has followers now?"

"Oh, yeah. Loads of followers and supporters. Any of them could attack Malon, while I'm doing Lakitu's dirty work. As long as I'm with Eo, she's safe."

"Link, you're a fool. When Eo is finished, he'll get rid of Malon, and the child. How would you feel, losing a child? _Your_ child?"

"Eo is keeping me as his peacekeeper for his new world. My family will be safe."

"Link, please. Stop this."

"Forget it. I'll let you go, but only through respect, and the fact that you looked after my homeworld. Next time we meet, I'm going to give you everything I've got." Link sheathed his sword, then disappeared in a dark flash. For a brief moment, Mario thought he saw another figure dressed in green nearby. It shook its head, then disappeared. Mario pondered who it was for a moment, hoping it wasn't who he thought it was, then shook his head and walked back to the castle.

--

Mario went straight to the castle's infirmary to check on Nino. Erk and Daisy were with her.

"How is she?" Mario asked as he entered.

"Shaken." Erk replied. "Upset. She thinks you did it on purpose."

"What?! Why?"

"She's never been attacked by a friend before. It's unsettled her. She's not thinking straight." Erk and Mario looked at Nino, who was laying on a bed. She didn't seem to be in pain any more. If anything, she was sulking. She frowned and glared at Mario. "Nino, stop blaming him. Mario's never been in such a large-scale fight before."

"Or with allies." Mario added. "It was an accident, Nino." Nino shot a quick Fire spell at him. "Hey! Calm down!"

"Get out." Nino said in a low voice. "I don't want to see your stupid face again."

"Nino, that's not right." Erk said to her. "It wasn't his fault."

"The idiot attacked me."

"He didn't _mean_ to." Daisy said. "Please, Nino, stop blaming him."

"Shut up!" Nino snapped. "I don't wanna listen! Mario attacked me! I've still got the marks! And you," She glared at Erk, "Are still 'catching up' with Daisy! You've hardly talked to me recently! Leave me alone, all of you." Mario sighed.

"I'll come check on you later." He said. "When you've calmed down." Nino cast Thunder at him. "Hey!"

"DON'T come see me! Ever!" Nino roared. "I hate you! I hate you so much!" She cast Thunder again. She repeatedly shot Thunder spells at him. Mario panicked, stepping back from each spell.

"Nino, stop!" Erk snapped at the girl. Mario stepped back again, then flung his hands up to protect his face from an incoming Fire spell. To everyone's surprise, more green scythes shot from his arm, aimed at Nino. Erk howled, and leapt in the way of their path. However, a couple slipped past him, striking Nino in the face and on her chest. She screamed, fresh cuts marring her face. "Mario!" Erk roared at him.

"I-I didn't mean to! I'm gonna go before I hurt her again." He left.

"Don't come back!" Nino sobbed with pain. "Evil man!" Erk turned to her, his chest scarred and bleeding.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"No." Nino sniffed. "He attacked me again. I know why. That Link said he'd joined Eo. He must have convinced Mario to join him, too. Now he's gonna kill us all while we still think he's on our side."

"No way. Mario's not like that. I don't know about Link, but Mario's not like that."

"He is. He's attacked me twice now. What if he kills me next time? You've got to sort him out, Erk."

"Mario's a Hero." Daisy spoke up. "He'd never join a bad guy."

"What do you know?? You lost your memory, maybe you forgot that Mario can be bad. Don't defend him."

"I know he's a good guy."

"Shut up, idiot." Nino scowled.

"Hey, don't yell at her." Erk warned Nino.

"Don't defend her! You keep defending her, but what about me? Don't I matter any more?"

"Nino...'

"Stop it. Get out." She turned her head away. Erk stood there, mouth open to say something. He sighed, and turned to the door.

"Let's go, Daisy. Let her sulk like a baby." He left the infirmary.

"Nino." Daisy said to the girl. "Sleep for a while. When you wake up, you might think more clearly. We're all friends here, and no-one would want to hurt you." She turned and left. Nino sniffed, furiously wiping away tears.

"I know..." She whispered to herself. "But... he did it twice."

-

Later that day, when the sun had set, Nino woke up. As Daisy had said, her mind was a little clearer. Still, she had yet to forgive Mario for hurting her. It was a mental scar that ran deep. She decided that she needed to go somewhere to think, where she wouldn't be disturbed, or reminded of Mario. She closed her eyes, focusing. When she opened them again, she was in the Void.

_Time to think._ She said contentedly to herself. _It was an accident. In the heat of battle, he used the scythe-things. Some went astray and hit me. Mario thought there were enemy soldiers there. Maybe there was, but they moved. I guess I should've seen the scythes coming, though. That was careless. Oh, I forgive him. It was... a casualty of war, I guess. _A glimmer caught her eye. _The Lines!_ She gasped. They were coming right at her. She turned, and willed herself toward Elibe. The Lines seemed to speed up, and knocked straight into her. She tumbled along them, until eventually she was spat out again. _Oh, no! _She moaned. _What now? If I go along them again, how will I know where to get out? If I dash to the future, will I go to the right place? What do I do? First... I'll go into the Elibe of now, and see where I am. And think a little. Then, I'll fly along them for a bit, and try to find Adia again. _She willed herself to Elibe.

-

Castle Reglais was... different. Gone, in fact. What time period was this? Her question was soon answered as a group of four dragons soared overhead. Following them on the ground was a man Nino recognised as the legendary hero Roland.

"The Scouring..." Nino murmured. "The great war between man and dragon. I've gone this far back?"

"Roland!" A female voice cried. Nino turned, and gasped. Elimine! The saint of Etruria! "Hey, Roland! C'mon, wait for us!" Several other people followed her. Nino recognised them, too; Hartmut, Hanon, Barigan, Durban and Athos. They thundered past Nino. A moment later, Elimine stopped and turned around. She walked right up to Nino. "What are you doing way out here, little one?" She asked Nino. "This place is dangerous."

"I'm uh... lost." Nino replied. "Where am I?"

"This is Etruria. We've been chasing these dragons across the continent." Elimine smiled warmly at her. "Shall I take you to a safe place?"

"Uhm... I think I'll be fine by myself."

"Nonsense. I cannot leave a child alone in this time of war. Come with me, child. What is your name?"

"N... Nino."

"Follow me, Nino. I'll guide you to a safe place."

"But... I'll be fine, really."

"Now, now. I'm sure you're very independant. But, if a dragon attacks you, you're going to die."

"Speaking of which." A male voice said.

"Roland." Elimine turned to face him. "I understand your eagerness to slay these creatures, but we must see this child to safety."

"No I mean... look." He pointed. A dragon was soaring toward.

"Behind us, Nino!" Elimine gasped, standing in front of Nino. Roland stepped forward, drawing his sword, the legendary Durandal. "Run, child! We'll fend it off!"

"I can help." Nino offered. Roland snorted. Elimine looked at her, her expression one of sympathetic understanding.

"I know you want to help." Elimine said gently. "But, there's nothing you can do. dragons are much more powerful than anything you've fought." Nino knew just how powerful dragons were; after all, she had fought one alongside Erk, Pent and the others. This dragon looked much smaller and weaker than the one she had faced. "Run, child. We'll come to you later."

"It's here!" Roland snapped, as the dragon landed and stomped toward them at alarming speed. Roland readied his sword.

"Fimbulvetr!" Nino shouted, pointing a finger at the dragon. A storm of wind, ice and snow shot at the dragon. The dragon screeched, and stared around in alarm. Nino poured more energy into the spell. It only took a moment. The dragon froze solid, in an upright position on its rear legs. With a quiet creak, the dragon tipped, fell on its side and shattered. "Huh. The one I fought was alot stronger. Took, like, twenty of us." Roland and Elimine stared at her in awe.

"You... fought a dragon? Stronger than these? Impossible." Roland breathed. "You're an odd girl. What was that spell? Athos has never used it."

"Fimbulvetr? It's a high-level spell."

"Athos knows all magics. He hasn't mentioned that one."

"Really? Well, my boyfriend and his teacher know it. His teacher was taught by-" Nino caught herself. She was about to reveal some of the future to these people.

"Taught by who?" Elimine asked.

"Never mind. I can't say. Just... go after those dragons you were chasing. As you can see, I'm quite capable of fending for myself."

"If... you insist." Elimine was still in shock. Roland, however, had recovered already.

"Hey, come with us." He said to Nino. "You'll help us a great deal." Nino shook her head.

"I can't. I'm sorry. I'd love to help, but I can't." She walked past them. "I have to go." She walked a few paces, then turned back. "Don't mention me to anyone. You can't."

"But... you could be a hero. Everyone would love you, and you'd be welcome anywhere."

"Please, no. Don't tell anyone about me."

"If you insist." He and Elimine turned and walked away. When Elimine glanced back, Nino was gone.

"Was she a ghost?" Elimine wondered. Roland looked back at where Nino was.

"Who knows? But, I have to tell Athos about the spell that she used. He'd love a chance to learn a new spell."

-

Nino floated around, looking for the Lines. Where could they be? Would they come to her, like they had before?

_Yup, there they are._ She thought, as the Lines flew at her. Nino let herself be caught, then flew along them, hopefully to her time. She leapt out after flying along them for what she believed to be the same amount of time that she had tumbled along them. She flew back into Elibe.

-

"Oh, for the love of..." She was in Etruria again. Lord Pent's castle was there, but it definitely wasn't from her time. The castle was missing what she knew as the east wing. "So, what time is this?"

"Wow!" A girl gasped. Nino looked around, and saw a young girl staring at her. "Lady, you look just like the legendary Nino! The Mage-girl who could slay dragons with a single spell! The creator of the Fimbulvetr spell! Wow, awesome!"

"N... Nino? You know about her?"

"Yeah! Everyone does! She's, like, the coolest of the coolest! The queen of Anima magic! And you look just like her!"

"Oh.... I... oh." Nino was speechless. Clearly, Roland or Elimine hadn't kept their promise. "Could you help me? I'm a little disoriented right now. What time is this?"

"Huh? Time? It's twenty years after the Scouring. I think... is that what you were asking?"

"Yes, that's fine, thank you. Tell me, who resides in that castle?"

"The great Saint Elimine. But, she's old now. She's looking for a succesor. Hey, why don't you go and see if you can do it?"

"What? No, I couldn't."

"Elia!" A voice snapped. A woman walked toward the girl and Nino. "I told you not to leave the castle until-" She stared at Nino. "Oh, my."

"Saint Elimine." The girl, Elia, curtseyed. "I'm sorry I left. But, I've finished my chores." Elimine wasn't listening to her.

"Are you Nino?" She asked Nino. "You look exactly like the girl I saw twenty-two years ago. But, you haven't aged a day. What are you?"

"I'm... complicated." Nino sighed. "Why did you and Roland tell everyone about me?"

"Oh! Roland, um... got drunk one night, and started ranting about you. Everyone believed him straight away, and you've become somewhat of a legend."

"Go back into the castle, both of you." Nino said. "Forget you saw me." Elimine nodded, and led Elia back to the castle. Nino entered the Void again, and travelled along the Lines once more.

-

"This looks like today." Nino said. "Or... maybe a few years ago?" She shrugged, and entered the castle. As she walked along the corridor, an image shocked her. A portrait of her, freezing a dragon. "No... way..." She moaned. "I'm a celebrity in a time where I didn't even exist... oh, what do I do?"

"Who are you?" A voice asked. Nino squeaked, and turned around.

"Lord Pent!" She gasped.

"You know of me? But..." He looked at Nino, then at the portrait. "Oh, my... I had heard the legends of the Spirit Mage Nino, but I never believed..."

"Spirit Mage?" Nino asked, stunned. "N-no... I'm not..." She sighed. "Oh, I've messed it all up."

"Messed what up?"

"Do you know anyone by the name of Lakitu?"

"How do you know of him?!" Pent gasped, taking a step back. "You could not... unless you are an agent of his?"

"No. But, could you bring him?" Nino asked. Pent nodded, and ran down a corridor. A few minutes later, he returned with the orange tortoise.

"This is the girl?" Lakitu asked, looking her up and down. "The Spirit Mage. Interesting... never ages a day... a Nether creature, perhaps?"

"Lakitu, I need your help." She said to the tortoise. "Do you know about the Lines?"

"Hm, your knowledge is interesting. Yes, I know of them. I recently learned how to fly along them to any time zone I like."

"Good!" Nino gasped in relief. "I need you to take me to my own time. I got swept up by the Lines, and I don't know how to get back to my own time."

"Ah, so you are from the future?" Lakitu asked. Nino nodded. "Then, tell me. Do I win over Majora?"

"What? I... I don't know. Who's Majora?"

"Ah, never mind. Let me take you home." He grabbed Nino's hand, and the pair entered the Void.

-

Nino smiled happily as she looked around the corridors of Castle Reglais from her own time. Her smile faded when she saw the portrait of her still hanging on the wall.

"Nino, you've made a huge mess." Lord Pent said beside her. Lakitu was with him.

"I... I'm sorry." Nino hung her head. "What have I done?"

"Alot. Things have changed a great deal."

"And," Lakitu added, "The Lines are going completely nuts. I can't do a thing to them. They must really like you, Spirit Mage Nino."

"Spirit-? No! Lakitu, you have to undo this! I... I made a mistake! Where's... where's Erk?"

"He..." Pent sighed. "Perhaps you should come to my study. There's alot you need to know."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Nino**

Lakitu, Pent and Nino entered Pent's study. Nino looked understandably upset. The three sat down. Pent and Lakitu looked at Nino, while Nino stared at her fingers, which rested on her lap.

"So... what have I done?" She asked them.

"Nino, first I must _insist_ that you never enter the Void again." Lakitu said. "Ever. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"Many things have changed, Nino. Most of them are small, that don't affect us right now. Like the person who was _supposed_ to discover Fimbulvetr never did."

"Wait... if I changed the past, then you changed with it. How do you know what's different?"

"I can read the sand. As can Majora. We saw the altered events. Speaking of which, I _did_ win him over." He grinned. "I remember asking you that. Thought you were a Nether creature."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, I should tell you what's changed. Well, many people are obsessed with your tale. The legendary Spirit Mage Nino, who appears in Elibe every so often, yet never ages a day. The Mage who could kill a dragon with a single spell. The Mage who invented Fimbulvetr. You inspired many young Mages to be at their very best. Why, even Lord Pent is more powerful than when you left him. As is Erk."

"Where _is_ Erk?"

"He's... there's no easy way to tell you this. He's half-dead, in the infirmary."

"What?!" Nino screeched. "Is he... will he be okay?"

"Yes, yes, he'll be fine. He experimented, wanting to invent a spell, like you did. He messed up."

"Did... he still meet me? When I was in the Black Fang?"

"Yes. That happened. But, you had a larger role there. You were a top assassin. Most of the events unfolded as usual. Your foster mother trying to kill you off, Jaffar saving you. You joining Lyndis and the others, meeting Erk. Your meeting with Erk happened a slight differently, though."

"How?"

-

_"Hey, it's a Mage!" Nino gasped, seeing a purple-haired Mage reading. She approached. "Hi! I'm Nino!" The boy looked up._

_"Nino?!" He gasped. "Were you named after the legendary Spirit Mage?"_

_"Um... yeah."_

_"Wow, you look just like her!" The boy snapped his book shut. "This is so cool!"_

_"Uhm... thanks?"_

_"Oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Erk. An honour to meet you."_

_"Same to you. So... what were you reading?"_

_"General Compositional Theory of Anima Magic, Vol VIII."_

_"Is it good?"_

_"Average, I suppose." Erk stared at her. "This is incredible. I'm a huge fan of the Spirit Mage story. She's so incredible. So, are you helping out this group?"_

_"Yes. They saved me."_

_"Cool. Hey, you wanna stick by me? I'll help you out, if you want."_

_"Sure!"_

_"Ella would love to you meet you. But, she has to go home soon."_

_"Who is Ella?"_

_"My girlfriend. We're going to break up before she goes, though. We won't be able to see each other again."_

_"Oh... that's so sad. Will you be okay?"_

_"I'll live."_

-

Nino shuddered as this new memory filled her.

"Oh... gosh." She whispered.

"Thought you'd remember. As you probably know by now, the history between Erk and Ella changed a little, too."

"How?"

"Pent learned of the Spirit Mage, and I learned of the Spirit Mage. We told other Scholars about it. The story spread to other worlds. People's way of thinking changed. Ella's way changed. And when she saw and talked to you, the Spirit Mage, she realised that she didn't belong in Elibe, and knew that she would be going home soon. Ella and Erk became much closer than the last time, savouring their time together. Erk still fell in love with you, though. Erk didn't get bullied as much, either. He was a great Mage from the start."

"I... did that?"

"Yes."

"What else has changed? In other worlds? Or here?"

"Vahlia is happier now. More Mages can use her power, as she's got a more lenient personality these days. Mario and Maria are still seperate. In fact, Vahlia seperated them, instead of giving Mario the ability to change when he likes."

"Why?"

"Because he asked her to. He thought it would make the future fight against Eo easier. Speaking of who, Eo knows all about you, too. He thinks you're dangerous, and wants to either destroy or get you on his side." Nino gasped. "Hey, it doesn't stop there. The Scholars know all about you. Pent has been charged with observing and monitoring you. Make sure you don't... well." He shrugged. "Stuff. Nerra knows about you. For some reason, it's the only memory that stays with her in new worlds. Everyone remotely important knows about the Spirit Mage Nino. Ganondorf can use Fimbulvetr, now. The Great Spirit of the Forest, Saria, is now named Nino. When she was born, her parents recognised some resemblance and named her as such. Mario and Luigi know. Mitrea, Adia, Eraf, Bowser, Sonic, Shadow, Malon, Majora. You tale has inspired greatness in alot of people. Lots of popular tales have changed, as people were influenced by your story. Eo is, somehow, stronger. Mitrea takes your appearance often."

"Who's Mitrea?"

"A shapeshifter, who is allied with Eo." Lakitu sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "All the goals of today are still the same. Seal Eo, restore peace. The people involved are slightly different, is all." He sighed again, and stared at Nino. "But the person to change the most... is you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"How? How have I changed? I don't... feel different."

"You are _far_ more powerful than you were when you left. The legacy of Spirit Mage Nino has become powerful. The name itself imbues great power. As the _actual_ Nino, the origin of the legend, your power in this world is beyond compare."

"No way..."

"Way. You struggled to learn the magic, as before, but the sheer _power_ behind them... incredible."

"Lord Pent? Is this true?" Nino asked her mentor. Pent nodded.

"You're stronger than me." He said. "Than Erk. Even stronger than Athos. Remember that dragon we all fought? You could best that thing easily now."

"It can't be... wait, Lakitu... who are those people you mentioned? Ganondorf, Eraf, Bowser, and the others. Who are they?"

"Nino..." Lakitu grinned. "You know. Your legacy has reached them. And, because you _are_ the legacy, you know everyone who knows of you." Nino frowned. Then, the images filled her mind. Yes, she knew these people. Somehow. "Nino, you've changed alot. For the better, it appears."

"I hope so."

"I have a theory that the Lines, or perhaps the worlds, are behind this. They did this to you to improve the present." Nino didn't respond. She could, somehow, hear Link and Malon talking about her, her legend.

"Link and Malon are talking about me." She said.

"What? No, they can't be. Link's on Mobius, Malon's in Hyrule." Lakitu told her. Nino concentrated on Link and Malon, where they were.

"No, they're both on Mobius. Did I change that, too?"

"No, you couldn't have. I still made Malon stay behind." Lakitu frowned. "Meaning, she somehow followed him. Against my wishes. Dammit."

"Lord Pent, Lakitu? Can I go see Erk now? I'm worried."

"Of course."

"Is... Daisy still here?"

"Oh, yes." Pent said. "Things are a _little_ different between them."

"Different how?"

"They are somewhat closer now. There's nothing for you to worry about, Nino. Erk still loves you more than life itself. He won't leave you." Nino didn't listen. Instead, she dashed to the infirmary.

-

"Erk!" She screeched as ran in. She saw him, laying on a bed. He looked okay, except for the pale skin, and darkened eyes. "Erk? Are you okay?"

"Nino... Spirit Mage." Erk smiled at her. "I'm so pleased you're here. Are you well?"

"Silly, worry about yourself. Are you okay?"

"I'll live. I'm not about to leave you."

"Good. Don't."

"Nino... heal me. With your power, you should be able to bring me right back."

"I don't... I don't know. Erky, this is all so strange to me."

"I know. Lakitu told me. But, you can." He pointed at the doctors' healing staff. "Please." Nino walked over to it, and picked it up. She felt her power flowing through it. She _was_ powerful. She stood next to Erk, and pointed the staff at him.

"Heal." She said. Erk was engulfed by a blue light. It disappeared almost instantly. Erk's skin was back to normal, as were his eyes. "Erky?"

"I'm completely recovered." He said happily, sitting up. "A little stiff from lying down so much, but..." He grinned. "Thank you, Nino."

"You're... welcome."

"Nino..." Erk stood up, and fumbled in his pocket.

"Yes?"

"I..." He took out a small box. Nino stared at it, eyes widening. Erk smiled, blushed, then fell to one knee. He opened the box, and held it to her. It contained a pretty ring, studded with a diamond. "Nino, will you marry me?" Nino stared at the ring, not believing this. "Nino?" Nino didn't, couldn't, respond. She continued to stare at the ring. Then, she felt her head become heavy. The room faded. Nino slumped to the floor. Fainted. "Nino!" Erk gasped, snapping the box shut and putting it on the bed. "Nino!" He held her. "Are you-?" He breathed a sigh of relief. He laid her on the bed, and sat next to her. He held the box in his hand, turning it slowly in his fingers, waiting for Nino to wake up. An hour or so later, Nino opened her eyes. "You okay?"

"YES!" Nino shrieked, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him soundly on the cheek. "Yes, yes, Erky! I will! I will! Oh, thank you so much!"

"You... you'll marry me?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you!" Erk gasped, hugging her tight. "Oh, Nino, I love you so much!"

"I love you, too!"

**Adia**

Adia sat in her room, wondering. Thinking. Mitrea had joined Eo, and taken Luigi with her. Had Luigi joined Eo, too? Or had Mitrea forced him to come, for some dark purpose? Adia had sent Sereng home, and fabricated a story for Anju, then come straight to her room. So much to wonder about. Why hadn't she been able to teleport right next to Eo? She had appeared some distance away, and couldn't teleport any closer. She'd had to run the rest of the distance, and by the time she had arrived, she was too late. Was it something to do with what Lakitu had said? That not all of the future visions could be stopped? Or was it something to do with Eo himself? Had his dark powers prevented her from getting too close with her magic? Adia sighed, and tried to think of something else. She looked across her room, at the small bowl sand sat on a table. She, too, could read the sand. She knew of Nino's actions in the past. That she had become the Spirit Mage. That her power was now the greatest in all Elibe. Possibly even greater than most Scholars. Of course, Majora and Lakitu were still stronger. Adia shuddered then, remembering. Somehow, she knew that Gaea of the Bora was stronger than them. Gaea, stronger than Lakitu. Stronger even than Lakita Tuan. Lakitu was weaker than Lakita, as his power was restrained. But, Lakita had full access to all of his incredible power. Yet, Gaea was still stronger. Adia thanked her lucky stars that Gaea was on their side. She sighed, and walked over to the bowl of sand.

"Future time." She said, with a half-smile. "What fun." She scooped up a handful of sand, and let it pour into the bowl. This was the way to See. She scooped out more handfuls, letting the sand pour between her fingers. Then, she lifted out a large chunk with both hands, and focused. The sand, falling through her fingers, remembering her touch. Falling through the air, remembering this descent. Landing in the bowl, remembering this reunion with its other parts. Remembering all. Knowing all. Discovering, through this, what the future may hold. Adia's eyes glazed over white, matching her pale skin, and she saw the future. Like all Sand Seers, Adia wondered how much the sand would show her.

------

_We have awaited you, White Witch._ The sand murmured. _See this now. See what the Spirit Mage has done to the future._

-

Mario and Maria stood side-by-side, outside a house on earth. They smiled at each other.

"Still taller than you." Maria giggled.

"Yeah, yeah." Mario sighed. "Taller wife. Big deal."

-

Erk and Nino, fending off a small army of evil people. People who's evil and cruelty could rival Eo's. Nino blasting through them relentlessly, her brilliant power shining through. Erk weakening, but Nino continuing with no sign of tiring.

-

Link, Nerra and Malon, arguing. Ganondorf stood nearby.

"But, it doesn't matter any more!" Malon snapped. "You've got me pregnant, and now you've got Nerra pregnant!"

"Malon, listen-"

"No! I thought you were a decent, honest elf. Instead, you're sex-mad, like all the others!"

"Malon!" Nerra gasped. "Don't say that! We didn't mean-"

"Shut up!" Malon screeched. "You're as bad as him! Aren't you supposed to be with Ganondorf? How dare you cheat on him!"

"I didn't! Malon, please listen!"

"Forget it!" Malon threw her hands in the air, stormed out of the house. "I'm _not_ listening to you!" She slammed the door.

"Well, that went well." Ganondorf sighed. Link and Nerra scowled at him. "What? You guys brought it on yourselves."

-

Luigi and Mitrea, running toward Lakitu. Mitrea as a fearsome creature that Adia didn't recognise, Luigi riding her, carrying a spear. With a roar of battle, Luigi stabbed his spear at Lakitu.

-

Daisy stood alone, facing Eo.

"You took Luigi." She said accusingly. "Give him back."

"I did not take him, Legion. He came to me willingly."

"Liar! Give him back!"

"Why not go to him? Come with me, and be with your precious Luigi again."

"Join you? No!"

"You will leave Luigi behind? You will place yourself as his enemy?"

"What? No... I... alright."

-

Adia, surrounded by bodies. The bodies of all those involved in the Eo fiasco. Only Eo still stood.

"Excellent." Eo purred. "Well done, Adia. Now nothing stands in my way."

"You will achieve your dream, Master." Adia said happily. "I am pleased to serve you."

------

Adia ripped herself from the vision. Why did the sand only show bad things? Why didn't they show good? Was the outcome so bleak?

_We show you the most likely outcomes, if events continue as they are._ The grains of sand in her palm said. _But, fear not. Circumstances change often. Consult us again, when your courage returns. We will show you more. Both good and bad._ Adia brushed the sand on her hands into the bowl, sighing. She twirled, left her room, and walked to Lakitu's room.

"Master?" She knocked on the door. "Master, are you here?"

_I'm in Elibe, Adia._ Lakitu's voice sounded in her mind. _I'll be home in a few moments._ Indeed, Lakitu appeared next to her a few moments later.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"I've just looked into the future, Master."

"And? What did you see?"

"I saw..." Adia paused, trying to remember. "Mario and Maria on Earth, married. Erk and Nino fighting those super-evil people you mentioned. Nino was still super-strong, and Erk was getting really tired. Um... Link and Malon arguing. Link had got Nerra pregnant, and Malon was upset about that. They were trying to explain, but Malon wouldn't listen. Luigi and Mitrea, Mitrea as some scary animal, and Luigi riding her. They were charging at you. Luigi had a spear, and he attacked you. Then, I saw Daisy joining Eo, so she could be with Luigi. Eo claimed that Luigi went willingly. But, I don't believe that. He was probably lying." She took a deep breath.

"Anything else?"

"N... no, Master."

"I don't believe you, Adia. Tell me what else you saw."

"It doesn't matter. It won't happen. I won't let it."

"I need to know, Adia. Is it about you?"

"Yes..."

"Then, tell me."

"I... had killed everyone involved in the Eo situation. They were all around me, dead. Eo was still alive. He said 'well done' to me, and that nothing stood in his way. And I... I-I said... I..." Adia felt herself choking. She didn't dare say this.

"Adia, tell me." Lakitu said, a concerned frown creased in his brow.

"I said... 'You will achieve your dream, Master. I am pleased to serve you.' I... I sounded really happy, too."

"I see. What did the sand say about these visions?"

"That... they were the most likely outcome. I didn't see any more. I stopped myself from Seeing as soon as I saw the vision of me... serving Eo."

"I understand. It's always difficult to see what you yourself will be doing. Although, the sand doesn't usually show people visions of themselves... at least, not as involved as that. Usually you're just there, as a part of a different vision. Never something so big..." He stared at nothing for a short while, then spoke again. "Adia, I don't want you looking into the future again. At least not until I teach you a little more about it."

"You've already taught me everything you know, Master."

"Not... quite. I've just realised that I left a few things out. That, and I learned one or two new things as a result of Nino's trip to the past." He opened the door to his room. "Shall we?" Adia shuddered. She had thought that after the last time, she would never have to go through this again.

"I... don't like the spell, Master."

"Bear with it, Adia. You need to know these things." Lakitu ushered her into the room. "Take a seat, dear." Adia sat down. Lakitu stood on his table, concentrating. "Ready?" He asked.

"No."

"Good." He began the spell.

--

Lakitu heaved a huge sigh. So much going wrong. Mitrea had joined Eo. Eo had Luigi under his power. For some odd reason, Mario refused to speak to Lakitu. Nino's trips to the past had changed alot. Some for better, some for worse. Both Majora and Adia herself had had visions where Adia joined Eo. This concerned Lakitu greatly; no-one has visions of themselves to such a strong extent. Could this be one of the inevitable outcomes? Would Adia really go over to Eo? What other futures were inevitable? Unavoidable? He plucked his gigantic notebook from his cloud, and flipped through the pages. When he found the page where he had written the visions, he stopped and read. Which of these could be unavoidable? Lakitu knew that he couldn't alter all the predictions. Some would occur before he could sort them, some would happen anyway, but differently. Others would happen no matter what. Lakit wanted to know which of the potential futures were going to happen regardless of Lakitu's actions, so he could be better prepared for them when they occur. He ran his eyes down the list.

"Mario and Link fighting." Lakitu mused, his nose wrinkling at the thought. "I hope not, but it probably will happen if Eo has anything to say about it." He looked at the next vision. Nino killed by Daisy. That was no longer possible, as Nino was super-powerful, and engaged to Erk. Next, Luigi and Mitrea fighting Link and Mario. That one seemed likely, considering Mitrea was with Eo, and had taken Luigi with her. "Oh, boy... Nerra killing Ganondorf, I can stop... Malon still-birthing the child? Could happen. And it seems I kill her. Well, I feel like it. Me being..." He paused, and shuddered, when he read the vision of him being sealed with Eo, and the vision of him dead. "Anyway. The Peach, Bowser and Zelda thing... No idea. Again with Adia on a killing spree, killing Eraf then coming after me. I should be able to stop that. Pent fight... no. Not happening." He sighed, and put the book down. There was too much to take in. The sand itself had said that these outcomes were the most likely. The other set of visions, which were less likely, included Luigi and Mitrea as lovers, Adia with Erk and Mario with Nino, Link with Nerra, Lakitu leaving for another universe, Malon and Eraf avenging Link and Mario. Lakitu scoffed at this. The Heroes weren't going to die. He'd make sure of it. The final set of visions, showing the happily-ever-afters of everyone, were the ones that Lakitu hoped to come true. Lakitu then remembered the 'big' vision, as Majora called it. The one that the sand said was most likely to come true, if things continued. Luckily, things had changed a great deal, theoretically halting the 'big' vision. Lakitu took a moment to count the number of visions in which Adia turned against him. Three, including the vision with her and many others stood with Eo while the worlds combined. Lakitu groaned. Three visions where Adia betrays the Scholars. Three being a magic number, Lakitu began to worry that the visions might really come true.

"Are you alright, Master?" A bleary, tired-sounding voice called. Lakitu looked at Adia, who was sat on a chair, still reeling from the spell. It really _did_ have an adverse affect on her. He had read her mind during the spell, and seen the discomfort it caused her, and the pain. And, to Lakitu's horror, the damage. He now knew the reason why Adia swayed; her brain sent inaccurate signals when she stood still, causing her legs to bend and straighten in alternation. Hence the swaying. Adia's recent short temper had also been caused by the brain damage. On the positive side, the damage seemed to have unlocked some form of power in Adia, as she had learned to read the sand without instruction. "Master?" Adia's weak voice asked again.

"I'm fine, Adia. How are you?"

"Tired." She replied. "Real tiiired..." Her eyes started to close.

"Don't sleep, Adia."

"Yes, Master." She opened them, and sat upright. "Why does everything feel so tired?"

"It's..." Lakitu paused, wondering how to tell her. There had never, in the entire history of the Scholars, been a case of someone receiving brain damage from the knowledge transfer spell. "I'm not sure. I'm going to talk to Majora, Pent and Gaea about it. You stay here. And don't you _dare_ fall asleep."

"Yes, Master." She nodded, the action slow. Lakitu wondered how much damage he had caused this time, how bad it was, what he had damaged, and how he had damaged it so much. What could have caused her to be so slow, so tired? He sighed, telepathed for a few moments, then teleported. Adia stared at where he had stood for a moment, then sighed and stood up, though with great difficulty. "I... have to..." She walked toward the desk, hoping her legs wouldn't fail her. "I have to see Grandma..."

"You'll do no such thing." A voice said. Adia looked to the owner of the voice.

"Who are...?" Her focus slipped, and she forgot what she was asking.

"I am Dracob, personal assistant to Headmaster Lakitu. He asked me to make sure you don't go anywhere."

"I'm going somewhere?"

"No, you're not. Now." He walked over to her, and gripped her arm. "Sit down, dear." He guided her gently to the chair. "And don't fall asleep. That's part of my job, too."

"But I'm tired."

"Yes, but you can't sleep. Lakitu will need you soon. Lakitu says you have to stay awake."

"Then I'll do what Master says."

_Sir._ Dracob called to Lakitu in his mind. _Her memory seems to be going. She was going to go see somebody, and I stopped her. She seemed to forget that she was going anywhere._

_Alright. Keep me posted._

**Lakitu**

"I'm worried." Lakitu said with a sigh, clutching Majora's hand.

"This has never happened with that spell." Majora said, stroking Lakitu's hand gently. "Then again, it's never been used on her kind before."

"What should we do?"

"This is out of my depth." Pent spoke up. "I don't know enough about the spell in question. I'm afraid my suggestions would be useless." The three looked to the wise owl, Gaea of the Bora.

"The time has come for you to show your smarts, old friend." Majora said to him. "You are, after all, offically the smartest Scholar." Gaea ruffled his feathers.

"Perhaps so." He hooted. "But, Lakitu knows more than I."

"Have you any suggestions as to what we can do?" Lakitu asked his friend, his eyes pleading. Gaea stared at him for a while, his eyes twinkling.

"Hoo, you have changed recently, Lakitu." He said, a smile evident in his voice. "I've never seen you have such care for another being but yourself and Majora."

"Gaea, please."

"Hoo hoot. My apologies. There is one thing you can try, but it is dangerous."

"What is it?" Lakitu asked.

"It's... dangerous. If it goes wrong, poor Adia could become brain-dead."

"Is it... the only chance I have?"

"It is. You either leave her in this mentally and physically exhausted state, where she will surely sleep herself to death, or try this."

"I'll do it."

"Use the spell on her one more time." Gaea said. The other three gasped.

"Gaea! The spell is what put her like this! To use it again would-"

"Do it again, Lakitu. Only this time, give her everything you know about yourself and her. It is the only chance."

"I'll... do it."

--

"Adia." Lakitu said to her.

"Yes?" She asked, her voice fading.

"We need to do the spell again."

"Noo..." She moaned. "Don't like..."

"We have to."

"Have to what?"

"Do the spell."

"What spell?" Adia looked at him. "Do I know you, Mr. Turtle?" Lakitu sighed. He floated up on his cloud, and prepared the spell.

"Stay still, Adia."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Link**

Link dashed up the stairs, eager to reach, yet anxious about, what awaited him. He was in a rather glamorous casino and hotel, and the bright lights were starting to irritate him.

"Of all the places..." He growled to himself. He scolded himself then, remembering that arguing was pointless. "This is the way it is." He said. "I can't do anything about it. But still... why'd he make me come here?" He opened a door, and looked around. He seemed to be in the hotel corridor. He walked inside, and tried to remember where he was supposed to be going. "Not one of these rooms." He remembered. "Another floor yet. And that elevator thing doesn't have any power to it, either. More stairs." He sighed, and jogged to the next set of stairs. Link's biggest annoyance was that he had only just finished his last task, and had immediately been called back. Now he climbed these stairs in this casino, wishing he could just relax in his room with Malon. He reached the top of the stairs, and opened the door. He was in some form of office. This was the place.

"Well?" A voice boomed from around him. Link sighed.

"It worked, sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

"What I mean is, it didn't work exactly as it was supposed to."

"Fine." The voice growled. "But, we had a partial success?"

"Partial, yes. Nerra's sorting the rest. Are we done here? I wanna go home and have a nice bath."

"With Malon, I'll assume." The voice chuckled. "One more moment, Link." The chair at the desk span around, revealing the figure sat on it. "I would much like to further our ventures together."

"You want me to work with you full-time, basically?" Link asked.

"Yes, quite."

"I still don't fully trust you."

"I understand that. But, I can be trusted. We're done here, Link. Go back to your lover. I'll see you again soon."

"Feh. Not too soon, I hope." Link turned and left.

**Nerra**

Nerra rocketed around the tunnels, flapping her wings as hard and fast as she dared.

"Stop running, you freak!" She howled. A small flying creature had a jewel in its claws, and was flying away from Nerra, who was giving chase. "I need that frickin' shiny!" It was the cyan Chaos Emerald.

"Shiny! Shiny!" The creature twittered. It looked like a bird, but robotic. "Mine."

"No, mine!" Nerra ducked beneath a rock sticking from the tunnel wall. "I need it!"

"Mine shiny." The creature banked sharply to the right. Nerra followed, narrowly missing the tunnel wall. The creature seemed to be enjoying the chase.

_How is that tiny thing so fast? _Nerra wondered to herself. _It shouldn't be._ She gathered a small amount of energy in her hand, and threw it at the creature.

"No fair!" The thing squawked, dodging it. "Cheat!"

"This isn't a game! I need that shiny now!"

"Catch me, get shiny." It said, then took off at an even faster speed. Nerra scowled.

_I can't fly that fast. _She thought to herself. She slowed down to a stop, then sat down on the tunnel floor, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm exhausted." She sighed, leaning against the tunnel wall. The flying creature flew back, and approached her.

"No more chase?" It asked, looking a little upset.

"No. I'm too tired. You're too fast."

"I want more chase."

"I'm too tired. I can't catch you."

"Use shiny? Shiny make you faster." It offered the emerald to her.

"Really?" Nerra took the emerald from it. "How?"

"Wish for faster. Shiny make it."

"Give me a minute to catch my breath." Nerra told it. "Then, we'll play some more chase. But, only if I can have the shiny."

"Is okay. Birdie have shiny. I find more."

**Sonic and Shadow**

"Dude, I don't think this is the right place." Sonic said, looking around. They were in a desert. "There's supposed to be a palm tree around here, Tails says."

"I didn't lead us here." Shadow hissed at him. "If you had listened to me, we wouldn't be lost."

"D'you have any idea how big this desert is?" Sonic asked. "Sure, we could run over it a few minutes, but we need to find this place." He looked at the piece of paper in his hand. "Two palm trees, leaning inward to each other."

"This way, Sonic." Shadow said from nearby. Sonic looked, and saw Shadow stood on top of a hill of sand. He dashed over. "Is that it?" He pointed to two palm trees, leaning toward each other so much that they almost formed an M. Sonic nodded, and the pair jogged over to the trees.

"So, somewhere in this sand..." Sonic muttered, looking at the ground, "Is some sort of panel. The emerald is under it." The two started digging around in the sand. It only took a few moments for Shadow to find the panel in question.

"Found it." He sighed. "There's something written on it, too."

"Let's see." Sonic said, leaning over his shoulder.

"It says 'He who opens the panel will see what none have seen before'."

"It must be talking about the emerald." Sonic decided. "C'mon, open it."

"What if it's some kind of warning? Or magic? Something bad might be under there."

"There's nothing we can't handle." Sonic assured him. "C'mon, I'm baking here." Shadow sighed, and uncovered the rest of the panel. He dug his fingers beneath the edges, and lifted the panel. A sudden flash of red blinded the two hedgehogs, and they squeezed their eyes shut. Once the light subsided, Sonic chuckled. "No-one's seen a red light coming from the sand, right?" He opened his eyes. "Shadow?" He looked around. Shadow was gone. So was the panel. All that was left was a box, into which sand was trickling, containing the red Chaos Emerald. Sonic crouched and lifted the emerald from its box. "Shadow!" He called. There was no response. "What happened?" Sonic wondered. "Tails can track him. I'll go back and ask him." With that, he dashed at supersonic speed back to his house.

**Malon**

Malon sat on the sofa in Sonic's living room, resting a hand on her stomach. For some reason, her stomach had been hurting her every so often, causing her to wince in pain. At that moment, another stab of pain hit her stomach.

"Agh..." She groaned, curling up and hugging her knees. "What's wrong with me?" She asked. Amy stared at her from the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"No." Malon replied. "My stomach hurts really bad."

"I'm not surprised." Amy said.

"Why aren't you?"

"Well, you _are_ pregnant, after all. It's not surpris-"

"_What?!_" Malon shrieked, leaping to her feet. "I'm- AGH!! Ow ow ow..." She winced, and fell to the sofa again.

"Woah, woah!" Amy dashed into the living room, and tugged Malon into an upright position. "Don't go jumping around like that."

"I'm pregnant?" Malon asked.

"You mean you didn't know?" Amy gasped. "How could you not? Look at you!" She pointed to Malon's stomach, which was starting to bulge. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

"I... thought I was getting fat." Malon said, staring at the lump. "I didn't know I was..." She gasped, her eyes widening. "That's why he told me to stay! Oh, I'm so stupid! I should've listened!"

"Yes, you should have." A voice growled. Malon and Amy turned to see Lakitu in the doorway. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid, __**STUPID**_Maiden!!" He spat. Malon cringed. "Why didn't you listen to me?? You should know better than that! You should know that everything I do, I do for _**damn**_ good reason!"

"I-I'm sorry, Lakitu." Malon shuddered. "I didn't know. I..."

"You..." Lakitu stared at her. "You've only just found out, haven't you? You should've realised ages ago. Before you came here. Oh, jeez... Maiden, Maiden, Maiden." He sighed. "Well, sometimes it takes people forever to realise." He stared at her. "Well, you've no choice but to stay here now."

"Why?"

"Because teleporting is bad for unborn babies."

"How long do I have to stay for?"

"Until the baby's born."

"Oh. Um..."

"Eo will be sorted by then, I'm sure."

"Okay. I'm really sorry, Lakitu."

"It's alright, Maiden. Well, not really. But, I can't do a thing about it now. The only thing I can do is keep an eye on you and your child. Make sure he or she is okay. And _you_ have to deliver the news to Link."

"Alright."

"Alright. See you later, Maiden." Lakitu teleported away.

"Amy..." Malon said, looking at he pink hedgehog. Amy stared at her. "How did _you_ know I was pregnant, even though I didn't?"

"Nerra told me. I dunno how she found out. Probably sensed the baby, or something. Well, she told us all, and made us promise to not let you go with them on their emerald hunt."

"And when were you going to tell me?"

"I thought you already knew." Amy told her. "But... Nerra probably would've told you when she got back."

"Right." Malon stood up slowly. "I'm going to go lay down." She walked toward, then up, the stairs.

-

A while later, Malon woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening. She looked, and saw Link walking inside.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hi." She replied. "Um... how did it go?"

"He says he wants to work with us some more. Nerra and Sonic have found two more emeralds, and Shadow's gone missing."

"Missing?"

"Yeah. He disappeared when he and Sonic found the red emerald. Tails just used some machine to find him, but he couldn't."

"Oh. Wonder what happened?"

"I don't care." Link sighed. "I'm more interested in you."

"Um... me?" Malon asked, though she knew exactly why Link had said that.

"Yes, you. And our baby. How could you not have known?" Link asked. "Even I was beginning to wonder, and I don't know much about pregnancy. I thought you were just getting fat."

"So did I." Malon admitted. "I'm sorry, Link. If I'd known I was pregnant, I wouldn't have come here. Now, I have to stay until the baby's born."

"Yes, Amy told me. Well, I suppose we'll have to put up with it."

"You'll stay with me, won't you? When it's born?"

"Of course." Link chuckled. "D'you think I'd leave you all alone on this strange world to give birth? Of course I'll stay." He kissed her.

"Thank you, Link."

--

Later on, downstairs, Link and Malon sat at the table with the others, eating their evening meal.

"So, that makes four emeralds." Mighty started the conversation. "Just three left, right?" The others nodded. "Hey, Link." He said.

"Yeah?"

"Will what's-his-name be helping next time?"

"He says he will." Link told Mighty. "But, why do we need his help?"

"He's smart." Tails said. "Smarter than me."

"Yeah, but... he's a bad guy."

"Like we have a choice. He doesn't want this world being destroyed any more than we do."

"But..." Link sighed.

"It's not so bad." Sonic spoke up. "I've worked with him a time or two before. Trust me, he's a good guy to have on your side."

"I still don't trust him." Knuckles spat. "I've been fooled by him enough times."

"So..." Malon breathed. "This 'Robotnik' is your enemy?"

"Keep up, Malon."

"Sorry." Malon sighed.

"Don't snap at her like that." Link warned Knuckles.

"Alright, I'm sorry." Knuckles apologised. "I just don't like the idea of working with Eggman."

"Eggman?" Malon asked.

"Robotnik. We call him Eggman."

"Oh." Malon looked back at her meal. She didn't feel hungry.

"You'd better eat, Malon." Link told her. "You've gotta. C'mon." He pushed her fork into her hand. "Eat."

**Link**

That night, Link stood outside the house, breathing in the fresh air. With so many people under one roof, it got really stuffy. Link appreciated the outside air. He sighed, yawned, and looked around. The streets were empty at this time of night, which is why Link was surprised to see a familiar figure walking toward him. Garbed in red, the person strode quickly toward Link, sword in hand. His magnificent moustache twitched as he approached. Finally, the figure stopped, and stood a few feet from Link. Link stared.

"_Mario_?!" He gasped. "You're... supposed to be in Elibe. Why're you here?"

"Doing as I'm told." Mario replied.

"Lakitu sent you? What for?"

"Don't mention that name to me." Mario spat, scowling. "He's been using us, Link. I won't stand for it any more."

"Lakitu's been... what? Using us?"

"Yeah. Him and those other Scholars. Making _us_ fix the mistake that _he_ made. Why should we have to pay for what they've done? They should fix this themselves, and leave us alone."

"So... why are you here?" Link asked.

"I want you to come with me. To stop listening to the Scholars."

"But, if we don't do anything, Eo will-"

"Join him." Mario said quickly. Link froze.

"W... what?" He asked slowly.

"Join Eo. He's got a more interesting view on things. Much more fun to work for."

"Mario! How could you say that? After what he-"

"The end justifies the means, Link. Do you even know what Eo's planning?"

"To rule all the worlds."

"Right. But, do you know _why_?"

"Why? Because... he's evil. He wants all life to bow down to him."

"No, not quite. Eo will unite all the worlds into one. He will then rule that world. And, as you say, all life will bow to him. That way, Eo will prevent war. He will stop people killing their own kind. Tell me that's a bad thing."

"Well... no, but... the way he does it is bad."

"Like I said, the end justifies the means." Mario sneered. "C'mon, join me. It's for the future."

"Mario, Eo almost destroyed Hyrule, and the Mushroom Kingdom. He tried to kill us. He tried to kill Malon, and Eraf. Why would you join him now?"

"We've seen past our little differences. Link, if you won't join us..." Mario pointed his sword at him. "Then I'll have to kill you. Eo can't have anyone stopping him. For the good of all creation, either join us or die."

"Have you never read stories?" Link asked. "If you have, then already know my answer."

"Neither." Mario chuckled. "But, this is no story. This is real. Give me your _real_ answer, Link. Join Eo, or die."

"Neither, Mario. I'll stop him. You should be doing the same thing."

"I'll give you a third option." Mario sighed. "I'm sure Master Eo will understand."

"You call him Master now? How low you have sunk, Mario. What's my third option?"

"You can stay out of our way. Don't help Eo, but don't hinder him either. Just stay out of the way while he unites the worlds."

"I thought, Mario, considering you were a hero too, you would know better than that."

"I do." Mario sighed again. "I really do. But, I had to try. I really don't want to have to kill you, Link."

"I don't wanna kill you, either." Link replied, drawing his own sword. "But, as you said." He stood in his fighting stance. "The end justifies the means. I'm sure Lakitu will understand."

"He's using you, moron!" Mario cried. "How can you trust him?"

"To be honest, I don't any more. But, I'm still gonna stop Eo. To protect Malon."

"Join him, and Malon will be spared. And your child."

"What?! How did..."

"How do I know about the baby? Eo knows many things, Link." Mario shook his head. "But, you'll never find out what he knows. Let's get this fight over with, then." He stood in his own fighting stance. The two glared at each for a moment.

"We don't have to do this." Link said.

"We do now." Mario replied, then leapt in the air. Link followed him upward, but couldn't see for the darkness of the sky, and the brightness of the streetlights. A thud behind him caught his attention, and Link turned in time to block a sword swing from Mario. Link knocked the sword backwards, and stabbed his own sword at Mario. Mario punched the flat of the sword, knocking it away. Link kicked at Mario, who leapt back, then shot forwards again. His sword clashed with Links', and he started forcing Link backward. Link span to one side, and elbowed Mario in the back, knocking him to the ground. Link brought down his sword, but Mario rolled out of the way. He span on the floor, in a capoeira-style move. Mario's legs shot at Link with blinding speed, and Link barely dodged them. Mario flipped himself to his feet, and started swiping his sword at Link again. Link only just blocked and deflected the blows, but had no opportunity for a counter. The blows rained down on Link, until, finally, Link saw a chance. Mario had slowed down his blows so he could put more power behind them. This slight slowdown gave Link just enough time to elbow Mario in the face, and knock him back. Mario stumbled, scowling, and Link punched him in the gut. Mario doubled over, but brought up his sword before Link had a chance to slash at him, and blocked the blow. Mario charged forward, running into Links' stomach with his shoulder, and shoving Link into the wall of a building across the street. Mario leapt back, and stabbed his sword forward. It sunk into brick; Link was already gone. A hand grabbed his throat from behind, and Mario found himself being thrown along the road. He quickly got to his feet, and saw Link running toward, sword sheathed. Mario frowned, wondering what he was planning. Link grabbed his sword handle, still running. Mario leapt over Link's head before he had the chance to draw his sword. However, Link span on the spot, drew his sword, and leapt after Mario. Somehow, Link matched Mario's amazing height. Mario knocked Link back, and landed on the ground.

"Maiden." Mario growled. "You win for now, Link." He said. "But I'll see you again." He then disappeared in a dark flash. Link stared at the area where Mario had been stood. Shock finally caught up to him. How was it possible? Mario couldn't have joined Eo... could he? Link sheathed his sword, and walked toward the house. He stopped when he saw Malon, Nerra and Ganondorf stood there.

"Link...?" Malon asked nervously. "A... are you okay?"

"What happened?" Ganondorf asked. "Why were you fighting Mario?" He walked over to Link, and grabbed his shoulders. "What's going on?" He shook Link a little. "Answer me, Link! What in Hyrule is going on?!"

"Ganon, please!" Nerra squeaked, grabbing one of the Dark Lord's arms. "Calm down. Link's just as upset as you." Ganondorf released Link.

"I know, but... why would he and Mario-? Why-? What happened, Link?"

"Link..." Malon approached Link, and wrapped her arms around him. "Link, tell me what happened."

"Mario..." Link said through his shock. "Joined Eo." Though he whispered the words, Ganondorf and Nerra heard.

"NO!" Ganondorf howled. "He would never join Eo! Something is wrong! It's a lie! A trick!"

"Mario said... Eo was more interesting. And that the Scholars were using me and him. And... Eo wanted to rule all worlds to prevent war. He... joined Eo."

"Oh, Link..." Malon squeezed Link tighter. "It's okay, love. There's gotta be an explanation."

"Yeah. Mario thinks Eo is right." Link sighed, and pulled himself from Malon's hug. Without a word to the others, he walked into the house.

"This is weird." Nerra said. "I don't know much about Mario, but I don't think he'd join Eo."

"He might." Ganondorf admitted. "You never know. Eo has a way of... talking you into things. He probably lied, and convinced Mario to join him." He sighed. "It's possible."

"But... Doesn't Lakitu need two Heroes to defeat Eo? What'll he do if Mario's joined Eo?"

"I dunno. But for now, we need to find those Chaos Emeralds. If anything's happened to Mario, Lakitu'll probably know by now. There's no need for us to tell him." Malon and Nerra agreed. "Malon, you should go calm him down." Ganondorf said to her. Malon nodded and walked into house, wincing occasionally. "Nerra."

"Yes?"

"I need to calm down, too. Will you walk with me?" Nerra stared at him, then smiled and hugged his arm.

"Sure."

--

The next day, Link seemed to feel better. Malon knew, though, that he was simply hiding how he felt. She understood why, too. Link considered Mario a good friend, after the two had fought together, and Mario had saved Hyrule. Now, Mario had betrayed him by joining Eo. It was a hard blow.

"Where's Tails?" Link asked, forcing his voice to sound normal. The sound made Malon shudder. The pair sat on the sofa in the living room.

"He's in the basement, with Eggman." Sonic replied. "They're looking over some of Tails' machinery, and Eggmans' brought some of his own in. Hopefully, it should help us out."

"What about Ganondorf and Nerra?"

"They've gone looking for the fifth emerald. Tails got a faint reading in some mansion the next town over."

"So, what am I gonna do?"

"You're gonna stay here, and relax." Sonic told him. "You deserve it, after..." He paused when he received a warning glare from Malon. "You deserve it." Sonic left it at that, and jogged from the kitchen.

"What about you?" Link asked, his voice slipping into a depressed tone, which also made Malon shudder.

"I've... got a date." .

"With who?" Malon asked.

"Don't laugh." Sonic warned. "I'm going out with Amy."

"Really?!" Malon squealed. "Wow, well done! I'm so happy for you two!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm only doing this to shut her up. Well, it'd be good to take a break from all this, too." He gave a half-smile. "See you in a few hours." He said as Amy approached, a big grin on her face. The two left, arm in arm. Link sighed, and leaned against Malon.

"What do we do now?" He asked her.

"Lakitu'll fix it." She assured him.

"Lakitu has been using us. I don't trust him any more."

"You should do."

"Why?"

"Even if he's using us, he's never once steered us wrong. He's always given good advice, and pointed us in the right direction. Besides, if he really _is_ using us, he won't want Mario working against him. He'll find a way to bring him back."

"I hope so." Link sighed. He rested his hand where his sword usually was. He frowned. "I wanna go kill something. It might help me feel better."

"No, Link." Malon said, pushing Links' hand away from his hip, and gripping it tightly in hers. "That won't help. You'll get over it. And Lakitu will fix it. You don't have to feel so down. It'll all turn out right, you'll see."

"If you say so, Malon." Link replied, sounding slightly happier. Slightly.

"I _do_ say so." Malon said with a smile. "Here, this'll cheer you up." She pushed Link's head down to her stomach.

"What're you-?"

"Shush. Listen." Link closed his eyes, and listened.

"What the?!" He gasped, his eyes opening. "Was that-?"

"A teeny-weeny little thump." Malon told him fondly. "It's kicking already." Link smiled, and pressed his ear against her stomach again.

"Wow..." He breathed. "My baby." He closed his eyes again, listening to the tiny thump of the babys' kicks. "What will we call it?"

"I don't know." Malon said. "Why don't we think of a name now?"

"In a bit." Link said, concentrating on her stomach again. Malon giggled. "Shh shh." Link waved a hand at her. "I'm listening." Malon found herself laughing, and unable to control it. "Malon, I can't hear. Calm down."

"I'm sorry!" Malon laughed, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't help it!" She continued to laugh, so Link sat up. She leaned against him, gripping his shirt tightly.

"What's so funny?" Link asked. Malon was unable to answer.

**Shadow**

Shadow sat up, and looked around. He recognised instantly that he was in a different world to Mobius. But, he couldn't figure out where he was. He wasn't in the desert, where he had been before the red flash. He was, instead, in some sort of town. As he looked, he saw a crowd of people staring at him. Human people. They were keeping their distance, and seemed afraid of him. He got to his feet, and the crowd scurried back, still staring intently at him. Whispers rose from the people, asking what he was, where he came from, what he wanted and so on. A minute or so later, a little girl stepped forward.

"H-hello." She said. Shadow felt relief that they spoke the same language as him.

"Hello." He replied, falling to one knee. He smiled at. "What's your name?"

"My name is Luce." The girl replied. "What's yours?"

"I am Shadow." Shadow told her.

"Are you one of Eo's men?"

"Eo?" Shadow gasped. "No, I'm not. My friends and I have been trying to stop him." Luce stared at him, then shook her head.

"You can't stop Eo. He rules the whole world. He's got lots of strong bad men who work for him."

"Eo... rules the world?" Shadow asked. Luce nodded.

"This world is part of Elibe. Seven miles in either direction is another world. To the south is Mushroom Kingdom, east is Hyrule, north is Kanto, and west is Mobius."

"Mobius? So... this is all the worlds as one?"

"Yes. Eo rules us all. He makes us work for him."

"Why aren't you working, Luce?"

"I'm too young right now. But, in two years, I'll be old enough, and I'll have to do whatever Lady Nino tells me."

"Who is Lady Nino?"

"She rules Elibe." Luce told him. Shadow sighed, and stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Mobius." He said. "Seven miles this way?" He pointed west, and Luce nodded. "Thank you, Luce." He patted her on the head, then sprinted toward Mobius, at a speed that surprised everyone. Luce sneered.

"Two Shadows..." She mused, transforming into Mitrea. "Master would _love_ to see this." She disappeared in a dark flash.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Luigi**

"How are you feeling, Mitrea?" Luigi asked the shapeshifter. She was laying on a bed in the house Eo had on Elibe, near Etruria.

"Better, thanks." Mitrea replied softly. "How are you doing in your lessons? Has Master been teaching you well?"

"He has." Luigi sighed. "But, I've been a lousy student. I'm not very good."

"You'll get there, Luigi. And when you do, we'll be able to work together, and help Master join the worlds together."

"Yeah." Luigi smiled, and patted Mitrea's hand. "Well, I'd better get going. My next lesson is in ten minutes, so I'm gonna go warm up."

" 'kay. See you later."

"Yeah, see ya." Luigi left the bedroom

-

"Are you ready?" Eo, as the female Shaman, asked Luigi outside the house. Luigi nodded. "First, I have a gift for you."

"A gift, Sir?" Luigi asked, surprised. "What for?"

"You have no magical talent, Luigi. And your fist fighting skills leave something to be desired, though are quite good."

"Yes, Sir." Luigi said, an automated response.

"So, I would like to start you on some weapon skills. After alot of thinking, and observing your training, I believe I have chosen the perfect weapon." She held out her arms, and a spear materialised in mid-air. It was long and slender, with a gleaming red shaft. The silver tip was a tri-pointed blade, with the middle blade longer and thinner than the other two, which were thick, and curved slightly outwards, then curved inwards and straight again. "Take the spear, Luigi." Luigi stepped forward, feeling nervous, and did so. As soon as he wrapped his fingers around the shaft, he found himself smiling. "I was right." Eo-Shaman murmured happily. "Excellent."

"It... it feels..." Luigi struggled for words, staring at the spear in his hands.

"Perfect?"

"Yes!" Luigi gasped, spinning the spear in his hands. "It feels perfect. Like it was made for me!"

"Good. I have noticed, in my time, that everyone has a particular weapon that fits them excellently. I'm glad I found yours so quickly. Now, go with Sahlan for some lance training."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Luigi turned and walked toward the man known as Sahlan, who was stood with his horse, Eras Thelts.

"Luigi."

"Sir?"

"Why do you call me Sir, even though this body is clearly female?"

"I... you told me not to call you Eo in that body, but you didn't tell me what name to call you by."

"Did I not?"

"No, Sir."

"Oh. How odd. Well, in this body, you may address me as Anandia."

"Yes, Sir." Luigi said, then walked over to Sahlan. Sahlan lifted his lance from the floor, and smiled in greeting when Luigi reached him.

"That's a nice spear, Luigi." Sahlan said to him.

"Thank you."

"Does it feel nice?"

"It feels perfect."

"Good." Sahlan nodded. "Eo's got a knack for that. Sorry, Anandia. She's got a knack. Anyway, shall we start the lesson?"

"Please. I can't wait to try this spear out."

"Then stand ready." Sahlan said, shifting to his fighting stance. Luigi shuffled uncomfortably for a few moments, until he stood in what he felt was his 'ready' stance. "You sure about that stance?" Sahlan asked. "Well, each to his own. I'll take a few slow swipes and jabs at you, and I want you to block or deflect them. I'll use that to decide how you fight, and how best to teach you."

"Yes, Sir." Luigi agreed. Sahlan stepped forward, and thrust his lance at Luigi, who only just managed to step aside.

"I said block, not dodge."

"That was too fast! I barely saw it!"

"Watch my movements, Luigi. You'll see it." He jabbed again. Again, Luigi barely saw it, and dodged. "Luigi, block! Block!"

"You're too fast!"

"I said watch my movements. Okay? _Watch. My. Movements._" He put heavy emphasis on each word. Luigi sighed and nodded, then stared intently at Sahlan.

_What am I supposed to be looking at?_ Luigi wondered. Then, he saw it. The slight tightening, slight jerk, of Sahlan's shoulders, indicating a stab. Luigi quickly flipped his spear around, batting away the tip of Sahlan's lance.

"Better!" Sahlan boomed, holding his spear vertically next to him. "See, third time's the charm. So, what did you see when you watched my movements?"

"Your shoulders tensed and twitched before you stabbed." Luigi replied. Sahlan nodded.

"Good. That's how all people fight with spears. And how many others fight with other weapons. Sword-users are difficult to figure out, as they have alot of fluidity in their movements, but even their body language can give them away, if you watch closely, and know what to look for. Fortunately, the lance and spear have the advantage of range, so sword-users should be easy prey for you." Sahlan held his lance ready again. "Just don't go picking fights with axe-users. They'll shatter your lance. Now, get ready! And watch my movements!" He stabbed at Luigi again, which Luigi deflected. Then, Sahlan span, flicking his lance around his body, then brought it swinging at Luigi's left hip. Luigi had seen the slight shift in Sahlan's balance, the slight alteration of grip, and the tensing of the shoulders, and knew that this attack was coming. He slammed the tip of his spear in Sahlan's lance, knocking it to the ground. Luigi's spear dug into the soil, holding the lance in place. Sahlan stared at Luigi. "That was good." He complimented. "But, not a wise move in combat. No doubt your enemy will know some hand-to-hand skills. And, should your enemy get another weapon, you will still have to dig yours from the earth. But a good move, for a beginner. Very good. Take your spear out of the ground, Luigi."

"Yes, Sir." Luigi grabbed his spear, and gave it a tug. It slipped out of the ground easily.

"Shall we continue?" Sahlan asked. Luigi nodded, and stood ready. He noticed that his stance was a little different.

"Remember, Luigi. Block and deflect only. No countering." Luigi nodded again. Sahlan jabbed again, which Luigi deflected, and Sahlan again swung at Luigi's hip. Luigi blocked this. Sahlan shifted his hands on his lance, and brought the other end thundering at Luigi's face. Luigi quickly brought his spear up, knocking Sahlan's lance upwards. Sahlan let it fly up, keeping his grip tight. The lance span around, bringing the sharp tip thundering up to Luigi's crotch. Luigi batted it back down, and Sahlan twirled his lance, then brought the shaft end down on Luigi's head. Luigi staggered back in pain. "Good." Sahlan said. "You lasted longer than I thought. It seems you're a natural."

"It was just a few seconds." Luigi grumbled, rubbing his head.

"Longer than most beginners." Sahlan told him. "I give tough lessons, Luigi. You're my best pupil to date. Let's carry on." Luigi sighed, and stood ready. Sahlan attacked in the same pattern as before. A stab, which was deflected, some fancy spinning then a swipe, which was blocked, some hand shuffling, then a jab with the blunt end, which was knocked up, then a vertical swipe from below with the tip, which was slammed down, then a vertical attack from above with the blunt end. This time, Luigi knocked it aside with the blunt end of his own spear. Sahlan nodded his approval, then shifted his lance around himself, spinning slowly on the spot, stopping facing slightly away Luigi, before turning his upper body and thrusting the bladed end at Luigi. Luigi saw all of this coming, and blocked. Sahlan then span again, moving himself along his lance. He grabbed it near the base of the tip, yanked it up, making Luigi almost lose his grip, then flipped his lance over, slicing it at Luigi's shoulder. Luigi corrected his grip just in time to block it. "Start countering." Sahlan said slowly, sounding like someone who was intensely interested in something. Luigi nodded, and brought his spear, which was almost vertical, toward Sahlan's face. Sahlan nudged it to one side, much as one would nudge a cat aside, and brought his lance toward Luigi's knee. Luigi, knowing his spear would take too long to get there, brought up his foot, and kicked it into the non-sharp part of the tip, and swiped his spear at Sahlan's stomach. Sahlan quickly recovered his lance, blocked Luigi's spear, catching the blade of his lance between two of the blades on Luigi's spear. He span his lance around, then stabbed it skywards. Luigi lost his grip on his spear, which rocketed over his head, and stabbed into the ground inches from Mitrea's face, who had come to see Luigi's lessons.

"Something wrong, Sir?" Luigi asked.

"Not really."

"Is it because I blocked that last blow with my foot, not my spear?"

"No, that was fine. I never specified that you had to block with the spear. It was a clever move, and made in an instant."

"So, why did we stop?"

"I know what I need to know. I know your style, and how to teach you. You'll be a good lance-user, Luigi. You think quickly, you make decisions instantly, and you react at the same speed. You don't depend on the spear, though it is a huge part of your style; you can use your limbs if needs be. I look forward to teaching you."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Take some time to rest, and get a drink. Your little lady wants a word with you." Sahlan pointed behind Luigi. Luigi turned and saw Mitrea, who was trying to tug the spear from the ground. A moment later, she growled quietly, turned into a minotaur, roared, and yanked the spear into the air. She transformed back to Mitrea, and trotted over to Luigi.

"You looked so cool." She said to him, a fond smile on her lips. "You were awesome."

"Thanks." Luigi took his spear from her. "You look alot better."

"Master heals me every time I get hurt." She explained. "So, Master got you a spear? Is it good?"

"It's perfect." Luigi grinned. "It feels like it was made for me." He twirled it in the air a little. "I love it."

"That's good." Mitrea said, watching him spin the spear. "Why don't you name it?"

"Name a spear?"

"Sure. It's your spear. And, Master says it's natural for people to give a name to their special weapon. It _is _special, right?"

"I guess so... but, what could I call it? I'm no good with names." Luigi plucked around his mind, picking at random words and letters, mixing them together and scrambling them. "I dunno..." He sighed. Then, a name settled in his mind, and sat prominently at the front of his thoughts. "Agnia." He said, gripping the spear tighter. "I'll call it Agnia."

"I think it's perfect." Mitrea told him.

**Adia**

Adia stayed still, as this strange orange turtle had told her to. She didn't know what was going on, and so decided it was best to do as she was told. She then felt something pressing against her mind. Like someone trying to get in.

"Let it in, Adia." The turtle told her.

"No..." Adia moaned. This feeling felt familiar, and she knew that she didn't like it.

"Adia, let it in. You have to." Adia sighed, and let the strange thing into her mind. It swam around in there. It was a long stream of what appeared to be words and pictures. It swam for a while, then settle down in certain places. Adia wondered what this was, and why the turtle wanted to do this. Was he telling her something? Suddenly, Adia's mind went blank. Then, so did everything else.

-

Her mind buzzed. It was annoying, but the pain distracted her from that. She recognised that someone was stood in front of her. Actually, more than one someone. An orange turtle, and a strange person with tribal markings on his face. Behind them was a giant owl and a man in a cloak.

"Did it work?" The cloaked man asked.

"It seems so." The turtle told him.

"We'll know in a moment." The owl hooted. A talking owl? A talking turtle? Adia jerked her eyes wide open, and sat up.

"How are you feeling, Adia?" The turtle asked. Adia stared at him. How did this talking turtle know her? Then, something flashed in her mind. Master Lakitu.

"I'm... fine, Master." Adia replied.

"So, you remember everything now?" The owl asked. Kaepora Gaebora, or Gaea of the Bora.

"I'm not sure." Adia paused, and started shaking her mind, hoping the information she needed would show up. Everything showed up at once. Adia remembered everything. She leapt to her feet. "I sure do." She said, her voice a growl.

"Excellent!" Lakitu cried happily. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm far from 'okay', Master." Adia hissed at him. Lakitu frowned worriedly. "Didn't you I tell you that I don't like that spell? That it felt weird?"

"Well, yes, but..."

"You should have known that it was unusual for that spell to feel strange. Yet, you did nothing about it. You just kept using it, and didn't bother to find out what was going on. You didn't take the time to find out if it was erasing old memories, or changing things, or, say, _damaging my brain_!!" She screeched the last one.

"I-I'm sorry, Adia, but... I had to teach you everything. It was important."

"More important than my health? My _life_?!" Adia glared at him.

"Adia, calm down." Majora said to her. "Lakitu has been under alot of stress lately. He didn't realise that the spell was causing damage. He thought that your strange feeling was a minor side-effect of using it so much."

"But, why didn't he take the time to find out? Or ask someone else? Instead, he kept going, and gave me brain damage! Doesn't he care about me?"

"As soons as he found out what he'd done, he called us all together to try and fix it." Gaea said. "You shouldn't blame him so. He was very worried."

"I'm sure." Adia huffed. Then, she sat down and held her head. "Can I get some aspirin?" She asked. Lakitu conjured some, and glass of water, for her. "Thanks." She took the tablets, and swallowed them, gulping down the water. She put the glass on the floor. Then she looked at the others. "Can I go to my room? I want to relax a little, and think things through."

"Of course." Lakitu nodded. Adia stood up, and left.

-

Adia received a huge shock when she entered her room.

"EO!" She hissed. "Why are you here?" She started charging a spell.

"Peace, White Witch." Eo said. "I'm not here to cause you trouble."

"You cause everyone else trouble. What's so special about me?"

"Adia, please." Eo said in a gentle voice. Adia found it soothing, and powered down her spell. "I just wanted to talk."

"Then, talk."

"I'm well aware of the lies that Lakitu and the other Scholars have told you about me."

"Lies?"

"That I want to enslave all life. It is not true."

"I find that hard to believe. After all, your name is Eo, short for Evil One."

"No, it is not."

"Your name isn't Eo?"

"My name _is_ Eo, but it is not short for Evil One. The Scholars invented that lie to justify their actions against me."

"What actions?"

"My desire... my destiny... is to unite all the worlds into one. Not enslave, unite. While it is true that I wish to rule that world, I do not wish to enslave it. I will merely rule to prevent war. So many creatures war among themselves, killing their kin, and for what? Power. Money. It sickens me. The Scholars, on the other hand, revel in it. With the wars in the other worlds, they can make themselves heroes. They use their immense powers to stop these wars, so the people will idolise them. Many Scholars even start wars, simply to be seen as heroes. Is that not disgusting?"

"It is, but... Master isn't like that. He cares for all life, too."

"Perhaps." Eo said. "Sadly, it seems that his care doesn't extend to you."

"What do you mean?"

"He gave you brain damage, Adia. You told him that it felt strange, but did he listen?"

"He had good reason! He didn't know what it was doing, and there was no other way he could give me knowledge."

"I'm sure. There are many spells for giving your knowledge to others. And believe me, Lakitu knew what he was doing. He would have seen that the first time he cast the spell."

"How?"

"The spell requires the caster to enter the mind themselves, to ensure that the information settles correctly. He should have seen the damage. The second or third time, if not the first."

"But..."

"And he sent you to Termina to watch Mitrea."

"Yes, because-"

"He knew that I was bound to appear there, for Mitrea. He also knew that you wouldn't be able to survive should either of us choose to fight. Why, do you think, your master would put you in such a dangerous situation?"

"I-I-"

"You came straight here to tell him that I had appeared, and what did he do? Send you straight back, to stop me. You both knew that you wouldn't be able to. If you'd managed to speak to Mitrea, then I would have fought you. You don't have the strength to survive against me, Adia. Yet, Lakitu still sent you. Is that how a caring master treats his apprentice?"

"No..." Adia's eyes were getting progressively wider. "But... he said he had to check which part of you was there."

"You could have easily done that. Or his boyfriend, or anyone. He knows that only he can stand up to me. Perhaps that pesky owl could, too."

"But, he chose me as an apprentice! To teach everything he knows to! Why would he-"

"You've grown too powerful." Eo smiled sadly. "In such a short amount of time, you have grown powerful. Too powerful. And you continue to grow. Lakitu fears for his life, and his position. You are a threat to him, so he decided to eliminate you."

"No..." Adia shook her head. "He wouldn't."

"He would. He did. When you returned from Termina alive, he used the Spirit Mage's actions as an excuse to cast the knowledge transfer spell again, so he could attempt to destroy your brain."

"No! He... he called all his friends together to try and repair the damage!" Adia cried. Eo stared at her, with a pitying expression. "He... he did..." The words quivered.

"Poor girl. Lakitu tried to destroy your brain. He did just enough damage so your brain would shut down by itself. He then gathered his friends to tell them that he had succeeded. Then, the owl suggested instead that he try to control you."

"What?"

"Lakitu agreed. So, he attempted to fix your brain and mind. To do this, he had to enter your head. And while doing so, he slipped a control spell into your mind. While your mind continues to heal, that spell will become a part of your mind, and be unremovable."

"That's a lie..." But Adia didn't believe her own words. She _could_ feel something else in her mind. She assumed that it was the new knowledge Lakitu had tried to give her last time the spell was used. She thought that the damage caused during the spell had warped it to something else. Now she wasn't so sure.

"It's no lie. You can feel it, can't you? Some strange thing in your mind, tugging gently at you."

"I... I can..."

"Don't you find yourself waiting eagerly for Lakitu's next command?"

"I do..." Adia found that she did.

"I can remove that spell. But, I must act quickly, before your mind encloses itself around the spell."

"Please, remove it." Adia begged. "Please, Eo." She closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt Eo's dark presence in her mind, searching.

_Do not be alarmed. I am merely dark, not evil. The two are very different things._ Adia knew that to be true. _Ah, here it is._ Adia felt something touch her somewhere in her mind. There was a sharp tug, then something patted her gently. _Sorry, did that hurt?_

_No, it's fine._

_Good. The spell is gone._ Eo's presence left her.

"Thank you, Eo." Adia said gratefully.

"You are most welcome, my dear."

"Eo, I don't want to work with Lakitu any more." Adia told the dark figure in front of her. "He has tried to kill me, and now he has tried to control me. He's been using Mario and Link to correct his own mistake. And if what you say about the Scholars is true, then I don't want to be one any more."

"You finally see the truth?"

"Yes. The Scholars are a disgusting organisation. I want to join you, Eo. Help you realise your dream of uniting the worlds."

"You want to join me?"

"Please."

"Are you sure?" Adia nodded. "Thank you, Adia."

"I should be thanking you, for showing me the truth. I'm yours to command."

"Then, I would ask you to stay here, as a spy."

"Of course." Adia grinned. "And inform you of their actions?"

"Yes. You will still have to obey Lakitu. Don't worry. If you should fight me, or and of my people, then give it your all. I will think no less of you."

"Are you sure? I mean, I work for you now. To fight you would-"

"Be part of your job. You are still pretending to be Lakitu's apprentice. Don't worry about fighting me. If we should have to fight, then we will simply put on a performance. You will lose, and I will spout nonsense about you wasting my time and being unworthy of killing, then leave."

"As... as you say."

"Excellent. You should know that Luigi came to me willingly. He works for me."

"He does? Good. He's on the right side."

"Yes. But, don't tell the Scholars. Let them worry and wonder. That should distract them a little, and make things easier for me. Don't forget, you must follow Lakitu's orders. Act as though you are still his apprentice."

"I will, Master." Adia said.

"Farewell, Adia." Eo said. Adia waved to him, and he disappeared in a dark flash. Adia walked over to her bed, and laid down. She started thinking to herself.

She believed what Eo had told her, about the Scholar's actions in other worlds, and that his name didn't stand for Evil One. She was still unsure about Lakitu's attempts to kill and control her. At the same time, she wasn't sure if Eo wanted to unite the worlds to prevent wars. She was stuck in between the two. Then, a thought occured to her.

_I'll stay with Eo for now. Tell him about the Scholars' plans. If it turns out he lied, or he gets too power-hungry, I'll simply turn around and tell Lakitu everything Eo tells me. If Lakitu asks me how I know, I'll say that I joined Eo to spy on him. _She smiled.

**Lakitu**

Lakitu sighed. He didn't recall Adia being so gullible. He had been watching the event in Adia's room, using the same spell Majora used to watch others. He had been worried about her, and what she would do, hence his decision to watch her. So now, Eo had talked Adia into working for him, and stay here as a spy. Then again, considering Adia's weakened mental state, she was easy prey for Eo. Majora, Pent and Gaea were still in his room.

"So why, then, didn't I stop it?" Lakitu sighed. "Eo might have killed Adia. I should've protected her. I would've had to admit to spying, but still." He sighed again. "Oh, I know the reason why." He grumbled. "A selfish reason it is, too." He closed his eyes, and reached out to Adia's mind. "What a load of crap Eo spouted. Stopping war. Me putting a controlling spell in Adia's mind. It's impossible to put _anything_ in people's minds when they're damaged or healing." He managed to sneak into Adia's mind unnoticed. "Let's see what Eo did, then."

_I'll stay with Eo for now. Tell him about the Scholars' plans. If it turns out he lied, or he gets too power-hungry, I'll simply turn around and tell Lakitu everything Eo tells me. If Lakitu asks me how I know, I'll say that I joined Eo to spy on him_.

Lakitu smiled when he heard that thought in Adia's head. She wasn't completely swayed by Eo. That was good to know. Lakitu looked around for a while, seeing if Eo had done anything. He located the source of the 'tugging' that Adia and Eo had talked about. It was a stray segment of her mind, that was out of place. It had been trying to nestle in to where it wasn't supposed to be. It seemed that Eo had simply moved it away from the area a little. It would start tugging again as it tried to fit in to its location. Lakitu quickly put it back where it belong. He felt some form of relief washing through Adia. Lakitu looked around some more, but couldn't find anything that Eo had done. He hadn't been in Adia's mind long enough to dive to the deeper parts and plant a spell. Even the most powerful mind-reader, or mind-walker, would take several days to dive to the deepest parts of a mind. And even then, there was a chance that the apparent 'deepest part' was a cover to hide the actual deepest part. Lakitu shook the thought away, and looked as far down as Eo was likely to have gone. Then he went deeper, just to be sure. Nothing. With a sigh of relief, Lakitu pulled himself back into his own head.

"That's good. Eo hasn't tampered with her." He turned to face the others. "She's fine."

"Good." Pent said, though he didn't appear pleased. "But, you still should've helped her."

"And why _did_ you send Adia to Termina, when you knew she might have died?" Gaea asked.

"Leave him be, please." Majora spoke up, defending his boyfriend. "Lakitu has been stressed recently, and he hasn't been able to think straight."

"I suppose you're right." Gaea admitted. "It must be hard work, juggling and balancing so many things at once. Ensuring that everything is in place. Hoo, hard indeed. But remember, you can't control everything. The harder you try, the more likely you are to miss some things. Well, I'll return to Hyrule now. Hoot hoo." He faded away, teleporting.

"I should get back to my castle." Pent excused himself, then disappeared with a ripple

"Is Adia under Eo's control?" Majora asked Lakitu.

"No, there's no spell. And, Adia still has doubts about him. All we have to do is erase her doubts about _us_, and we'll be fine."

"Perhaps we should let her stay with Eo for a while. Even though it disgusts me, we can always force-read her mind to find out his plans."

"It disgusts me too, Majora. It may be the only way. We'll see. For now, I'm going to check how things are in the worlds."

"Are Mario or Maria talking to you yet?"

"Sadly, no. They refuse to see me. What's weird, is I can't force-read their minds. I think they know its coming, and they send their thoughts back and forth between each other. Either that, or because they were once the same body, and the same mind, it's like I'm trying to read two minds at once. You know how impossible that is."

"Indeed I do. The second seems most likely. Mind-reading is not a skill known in Elibe."

"Also, Link, Malon, Ganondorf and Nerra seem upset about something. I asked Malon, but she simply said 'you know what', and walked away looking even more upset."

"It must be the baby thing."

"No, I've got the feeling it's something else. She seemed fine about the baby when I told her. She didn't get upset all day. Then, the next day, all four of them are upset about something. And apparently, I know what it is." He shrugged. "I'm sure I'll find out."

"Good. I'm going back to the library." Majora told him. He kissed Lakitu, then left.

"Take care." Lakitu called. He turned back to the floating image of Adia, laying on her bed. "Even if I hadn't watched this, I would've figured out that she's working for Eo. For one, I could force-read her mind. For two, she's a rubbish actor. Even Luigi got suspicious of her, and he's the definition of gullible." Then, a sudden thought occured to him. "Gullibility, of course. Eo persuaded Luigi to join him. Huh. Eo's got some sort of recruitment plan going. Not the loner he used to be, any more." A chuckle escaped his throat. "He's finally realised that he alone is no match for the Scholars." He closed his eyes, telepathing. As soon as he discovered that Mitrea and Luigi were with Eo, he had sent someone to infiltrate his group, and observe the pair. He was telepathing this person now.

_Sahlan._ Lakitu said when he got a response.

_Lakitu._ Sahlan replied. _I was expecting you to call sooner._

_Something came up. How are they doing?_

_Well, the girl seems happy to be with Eo again. The plumber seems to be okay with being here. It's like wants to be here._

_Yeah, Eo talked him into joining._

_Oh. Well, they're both fine. The girl got hurt, but Eo healed her._

_How did she get hurt?_

_I don't know. Eo says it's none of my business. No-one else will tell me, either._

_That's fine. Do you know what Luigi's been doing in Eo's company?_

_Just combat and magic lessons. The plumber can't use magic, and he's average with his fists. Just today, Eo gave him a spear to use. It's his Soul Weapon, and the plumber named it Agnia. _

_Ah._ Lakitu grimaced. _Luigi's 'weapon-just-for-him'. Those are annoying. And to name it spells more trouble. _

_I agree. People with their Soul Weapon become proficient at an alarming pace, and names give the weapon more power. _

_How long do you think it'll take for you to gain Eo's trust and get closer to Mitrea and Luigi?_

_I couldn't say, Boss. It might be an hour. It might never happen. I'll let you know as soon as I manage it, though._

_Good. And remember-_

_I know, I know. Wheel them back over to your side, got it. It'll be hard, but I'll figure something out._

_I hope you do, Sahlan. I'll talk to you again some other time._

_Take care, Boss. Oh, Eo's back._

_He is? What's he doing?_

_Well, he's in that Shaman's body again. Looks like he's dancing._

_Dancing?_

_Yeah. I can hear him saying something about an Adia. Do you know who or what that is?_

_My apprentice._

_Oh. Well, he's saying he's won her over._

_I know. But, don't worry, we're handling it._

_Alright. See you, then._ Sahlan severed the connection.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Mario**

"It can't be true." Maria said to Mario. "Something's wrong, here." The two were sat in Mario's room, on his bed. Eraf was sat on Mario's left, Maria on his right.

"Maybe it was someone else, pretending?" Eraf suggested.

"No, that was Link." Mario told them. "It looked exactly like him. I'd recognise his moustache and beard anywhere. He acted just like him, too, and knew all about Malon, and the adventure we had. It _had_ to be Link."

"Maybe Eo's mind-controlling him? We should tell Lakitu."

"No." Mario and Maria snapped in unison. "We're not talking to that user ever again." Mario said.

"Mario, you have to. He might be able to do something."

"Like what? Manipulate Link again? I won't do that to him. Even if he's with Eo, at least it's his choice, and he's not being forced into it."

"How you can be so sure? He's probably being manipulated, or blackmailed, or even controlled. If we tell Lakitu-"

"Forget it, Eraf." Maria told the small girl. "We won't talk to Lakitu. You should know that by now."

"I guess so." Eraf sighed. "I just wanted to help."

"We know, sweetheart."

-

Mario gripped the Elfire tome in his hands determined to get it right this time. Next to him, Maria sported the same look of determination. The pair stood outside the castle, with Daisy, Eraf, Erk and Nino.

"Alright, try it again." Erk sighed. They had been practising all afternoon, but neither Mario or Maria had managed the spell. Daisy had, and was currently practising Shine, a Light magic spell. Even though Erk struggled with Elfire as much as Mario and Maria had, he was getting quite bored of their constant failure. Mario and Maria frowned in concentration, and attemped the spell again. A small pillar of fire appeared in front of them. "That's better." Erk said, his mood brightening. An Elfire spell was a large pillar of fire, with two balls of fire circling it. "Try it again; you're getting it." The pair cast the spell again, but only produced a normal Fire spell. "You know what, let's call it a night." Erk said, looking at the stars. They were starting to get brighter, meaning night was coming. "We'll try again tomorrow." Meanwhile, Daisy was casting a Shine spell. Because she had already learned these spells once before, as Ella, it was somewhat easier for her. With a tired sigh of relief, Mario and Maria shuffled into the castle.

"Eraf, why aren't you practising magic?" Nino asked her.

"I found a better use for myself." Eraf replied. "I can use Fire and Thunder, which is all I'll probably need."

"Right. So, what's this 'better use'?"

"Each person only has a certain amount of magical energy in them at one time, right?" Eraf asked. Nino nodded. "Well, after they run out, they need time to recover it. I can store magic energy inside myself, just like I could when I was a fairy. So, when Mario or Maria run out of magic, I'll give them some of mine."

"Oh. That's... interesting. I didn't know you could give other people your magic energy."

"Only I can, for some reason. Erk was explaining it to me earlier. It's something to do with how I'm part fairy, part human, and an outsider to this world. It seems I react to magic differently than most people."

"Alright." Nino understood. She watched as everyone walked into the castle, then pulled Erk to one side. "Erky, you know why Mario and Maria are struggling, right?"

"Yeah. They're humans from Earth. Nobility is a rare thing on Earth. Says Lakitu."

"I'm not sure if they'll be able to manage it. You need noble thoughts to cast Elfire, and I don't think they can do that."

"They can, Nino. They've both got a noble cause. It'll come to them."

"But, do we have time? Already, we've fought an army. I'm sure Eo's behind it. Wouldn't it be better to move on to Fimbulvetr now?"

"They need to learn Elfire, Nino. To be able to keep noble thoughts at the front of your mind when your casting magic will strengthen their mind, making it easier for them to cast other spells."

"I can see that, but..."

"Lord Pent insist that they learn Elfire first. I have to do as he says."

"Alright, Erk." Nino sighed. "If you say so."

"Listen." Erk said, putting a hand on Nino's shoulder. "I'll speak with Lord Pent, and tell him what you just said. I think you might have a point, and hopefully Lord Pent will think so, too."

"Thank you, Erk."

**Nino**

Nino stood with Erk in Lord Pent's study while Erk told Pent Nino's suggestion.

"It's a valid point." Pent said after a minute's silence. "But, if they learn this spell, it'll make it easier for them to learn the next spells, and to cast the old ones. It'll help a great deal with their spellcasting."

"But," Erk said, "Nino pointed out that there might not be enough time. We've been attacked once already, and Eo's almost definitely behind it."

"If Eo is indeed behind the attack, then you are right. Lakitu has some people working on finding out right now. For now, Mario and Maria will continue learning. If it turns out the Eo is behind the army, then start teaching Mario and Maria Fimbulvetr and Excalibur, and fast."

"Yes, Lord Pent." Erk thanked him.

"Thank you, Lord Pent." Nino said.

"Let's hope that they learn Elfire quickly." Pent sighed. "You two can go now." Erk and Nino nodded, and left the room.

"I've got a bad feeling, Erky." Nino said as they walked to Erk's room. "I think something bad's going to happen."

"Really? When'd that happen?"

"I've actually been thinking it for a while. Some girl called Adia appeared in my room the moment I thought it."

"Lakitu's apprentice." Erk said with a nod. "Pent told me about her."

"She thinks the same. I think it's going to happen to me. But, I get the feeling that something else bad is going to happen, too. Someone's going to die."

"Someone here?"

"I don't know. Someone, but I don't know who, or what world they're in. Or even when." Nino sighed miserably. "It's nagging at my mind. It's someone who knows my legend."

"Well, that could be anyone. Almost all life knows your legend."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Nino shuddered. "I didn't mean for that to happen. When that dragon attacked, I just... reacted."

"I know, love." Erk said, patting her on the back.

"I just wish I knew what was going to happen, and who's going to die. I might be able to stop it." They reached Erk's room, and walked inside. "I'm worried, Erk."

"Oh, Nino." Erk said softly, stroking her right cheek. "Ask Lakitu about it next time he comes. He should be able to help."

"Yeah. If anyone can do something about it, he can. But, he's already got so much on his mind."

"Nino...?" Erk gasped, staring at her.

"What's wrong?"

"What...? Where did...?" He lifted his hand, and stared at her cheek.

"What? What is it?" Nino put her fingers on her cheek, then gasped. She had a scar. "What the-?! What's this?!"

"There's more..." Erk said, as another scar appeared on her nose. Then another, on her left temple. Then another on her neck. Then beneath her right eye, then above her left eye, then on her chin. "What's going on?"

"I... I..." Nino shuddered. "I don't know. I've never had scars... these are new... they... Erky, what's going on?"

"It's alright, Nino. It's alright. Let's just... ask Lakitu. Or Pent. They'll know."

"But... scars, Erk... I... I'm... ug-"

"No, you're not." Erk said quickly. "You're not, you're not." He kissed her. "It's okay."

"But, how'd they get here?"

"Let's not think about that for now." Erk smiled at her. "Let me take your mind off things." He reached for the door, and locked it. Nino grinned, and blushed.

"Alright." She agreed. "It's been a while, after all." Erk leaned in and kissed her passionately, his hands searching for the clip on her skirt. Nino pushed her hands underneath Erk's top, and stroked his chest. She enjoyed stroking his chest. She remembered their first time, in the Aura Room, when she first saw his bare chest. She couldn't keep her hands off it. That night ran through her mind, and she remembered every little detail. Suddenly, Erk stumbled forwards, and fell onto the floor.

"Nino?!" He gasped. Nino had vanished. "Nino?" He looked around. How had she disappeared? Had she gone to the Void? Erk remembered how Nino teleported there. She had to think strongly about the first time she'd slept with Erk, she'd told him. Had she thought about that right now? "Lord Pent!" He cried, dashing from his room. The door was still locked, but it crumpled beneath his form, smashing to the floor. "Lord Pent! Emergency!" Where the only two things Erk could think to say.

--

Nino stared around her.

_NO!_ She shrieked in her mind. _Why am I here again?_ The Lines appeared, and shot toward her. _No, no, no! Don't do this to me!_ She turned, and willed herself toward Elibe as fast as possible. It seemed to move away from her. _No way! Nooo! Why?!_ The Lines engulfed her, and she fell along them. _Erk! Erk, I'm scared! Help me!!_

_Peace, child._ A thousand quiet voices whispered. _This is the last time. We are sorry to do this, but it is for the good of the future._

_No! Do it to someone else! I want my Erk! My Erky!!!_ Then, the lines spat her out, and flew away. Nino stared at them, feeling panic rise. Abandoning herself to what obviously fate, she flew into Elibe.

-

She wasn't in Etruria. Even though she was supposed to appear where-ever she left, she wasn't in Etruria. Elibe seemed to have placed her elswhere. She looked around, and recognised the scenery. Bern.

"I came here once when I was a little girl." Nino realised. "What's the betting that little-girl-me shows-" She stopped when she did, in fact, see her younger self. "Oh, sweet Elimine." She sighed. Tiny Nino skipped over to her.

"Good morning, lady!" She said happily. "Are you here for the flowers, too?"

"Flowers? Why... yes." Nino lied. Something told her that she should interact with her younger self. "But I haven't found any yet. Do you know where they are?"

"Uh-huh! My Uncle says that they're over that next hill." She pointed. Following her finger, Nino saw Canas.

_It's true..._ Nino gasped. _He really _is_ my uncle._

"Can I come with you?" She asked her younger self.

"Sure!" Little Nino grabbed her hand, and dragged her over to Canas.

_Wait..._ Nino thought for a moment. _Lakitu said that touching your past self negates your existence. So why hasn't that happened? Or has it happened, and I just haven't realised? _She cleared her mind of the thought when they reached Canas.

"Uncle, Uncle!" Tiny Nino cried. "Look, this lady wants to look for flowers, too!"

"Oh?" Canas smiled. "Then, she is welcome to join us." He nodded politely at Nino, who nodded back. The three walked over the hill, Tiny Nino still holding Nino's hand. "Ah, there they are." Canas sighed happily. "The Bern Daisy." He smiled.

"Daisy daisy!" Tiny Nino squeaked happily. "Let's go!" She tugged Nino's arm, and the two ran to the flowers. "I'm gonna make a daisy chain." Tiny Nino declared, squatting to pluck some flowers. "Let's make one for each other."

"Sure." Nino agreed, absently plucking at some flowers. She looked around, wondering what she was supposed to do here, or what was going to happen. Canas sat on the slope of the hill, and watched them.

"Lady, are you looking for someone?" Tiny Nino asked, noticing Nino staring around.

"Hm? Oh, no. I was just remembering. I came here once when I was little."

"Really??" Tiny Nino gasped. "Wow!"

"Yes. I'm very happy to be here." She looked around again. Then, she saw something that froze her cold. She stood up, dropping the flowers she'd picked.

"What's wrong?"

"Go over to your Uncle." Nino said in an urgent tone.

"Huh? But, Uncles' gone."

"What?" Nino looked. Canas had gone. "Where is he?"

"He'll be on the other side, sleeping." Tiny Nino explained. "He gets tired alot, because of work."

"Then... go over to him."

"Why?"

_Too late._ Nino thought. The object of her fear was now a few paces away from them. Nino stood in front of her younger self, in hopes of protecting her.

"I have found you." The object of her fear said. Nino glared at it. From what Lakitu had described, this... thing was Eo. "Time travel cannot help you, Spirit Mage."

"Spirit Mage?" Tiny Nino asked. "Who are you, Mister?"

"Shh." Nino snapped at her. Tiny Nino cringed, and buried her face in Nino's skirt. "What do you want?" She asked Eo.

"You, of course." Eo replied. "Either your servitude or your life."

"You'll have neither." Nino growled. "Go away, Eo. Leave us alone."

"Join me, Spirit Mage. Help me unite the worlds."

"No! Get out of here!"

"If you will not join me, then I will kill you."

"I won't join you."

"Then prepare to die." Eo said, with seemed to be a sad sigh. A wave of dark energy shot at them. A scar appeared on Nino's right forearm. It wasn't bleeding, so it wasn't a fresh cut. Nino looked to her younger self, and saw her clutching a large cut on her arm, sobbing.

"Leave her alone!"

"No." Eo grinned. "No matter which of you I kill, you'll be out of my way." Another dark wave shot at them. Nino pushed it back with an Elfire spell.

"So, your power extends this far back." Eo mused. Nino dashed at him, charging Excalibur. "You cannot win, Spirit Mage. My power outweighs yours."

"I won't just lay down and die." Nino spat, throwing a blade of the Excalibur spell at him. This was something that only she could do. The Excalibur spell shot green blades of energy at the opponent, slicing them. Nino, however, could throw them one at a time. Eo dodged it, and the second that Nino threw. Eo chuckled, and threw a dark blade of energy at her. Nino dodged this, then charged a Thunder spell in her other hand. This was another that only Nino could do; casting two spells at once. She threw a third blade, which Eo evaded, then blasted the Thunder spell at him. Eo gasped, and narrowly avoided it. He muttered something like 'impressive', then threw a beam of energy at her. Nino gasped, then threw up a large wall of fire, by casting multiple Fire spells in quick succesion. The beam hit the wall and exploded. Nino was already several paces away, throwing more Excalibur blades at Eo. He lazily knocked them aside. Nino could see that her power was still nothing compared to his. Or was it? She re-charged the Excalibur spell in her right hand, then powered up a Fimbulvetr spell in her left. Perhaps, by some chance, her Fimbulvetr was her strongest spell, due to it being the cause of her legendary status? She cast, throwing a howling storm of snow and ice at Eo. He roared, and threw up some form of shield. When the spell ended, Eo still stood, though his glowing shield was cracked, and fading. Eo laughed, and the shield disappeared. More dark energy beams thundered toward Nino, who barely eluded them. She charged up Fimbulvetr again, putting more energy into it. Then, an idea occured to her. She's already invented one spell, so why not another? She looked at her hands. One glowed green with the stored Excalibur spell, the other an icy blue. She clapped her hands together, and the two spells flashed brightly, startling both her and Eo. Nino focussed on them, forcing them into each other. She pulled her hands apart. They both glowed a silvery-green. Nino smiled. It had worked. A new spell had been made.

"Squall." She said, almost menacingly. A single silvery-green blade shot from her hand, icy wind blasting from it. Eo snorted, and batted it aside. He didn't realise that it was blowing the icy wind, and his hand suddenly froze. Nino smirked, and threw another. Eo raised his shield, which was now renewed, and the blade smashed against it. The wind still blasted at Eo as he lowered his shield, and his arm froze. Nino threw the next blade at him, and Eo had no choice but to evade. The blade followed him, however, and he was forced to turn and vaporise it with a wave of dark energy. Nino threw two more blades, which were all she had left. Eo destroyed them both. Then, the ice on his arms melted as he heated them up.

"Interesting spell, Spirit Mage." Eo complimented her. "But I learn quickly. You cannot win. However, I can't risk another new spell from you. I'll do this the simple way." He pointed a fist at Tiny Nino, who was still crying.

"No! Don't you dare!" Nino roared, running toward her. Eo laughed maniacally, and fired a dark wave at the little girl. Poor Tiny Nino screeched in agony as the wave ripped at her flesh, digging deep cuts into her body. Two more scars appeared on Nino; a long one of her leg, and one on her left shoulder. Nino reached her younger self, and threw her body onto the child, shielding her. The wave lashed at her back, tearing at it.

"Ha! This works fine for me!" Eo howled victoriously. "You'll die, one way or another!" The wave intensified, and Nino screamed. Abruptly, the wave disappeared. Nino panted for breath, and looked to Eo. Was he just toying with her? When she turned her head, she saw a large owl stood between her and Eo.

"Hoo, I think that will do." The owl said. "I thought even you might have some sense of honour and decency, Eo."

"Silence, owl." Eo hissed. "Begone with you!" He sent another wave. With a single flap of its giant wings, the owl blew the wave apart. "Curses." Eo growled. "My power in this time is too weak. Explain to me how yours is still so strong, when you're not from this time, either!"

"You don't deserve that explanation. Now, I suggest that you leave. And quickly, before my patience is tested."

"Ugh." Eo took an involuntary step back. He knew that he would be unable to stand up to this powerful being, with his power weakened by the stretch of time. "Fine." He disappeared in a dark flash. The owl hooted, then turned to Nino.

"Oh, my." It sighed. "What a mess. Lucky Canas called me in time." Nino was still awake, but Tiny Nino was unconscious. Nino looked at her ravaged body, and gasped. She was starting to fade away. "Oh, dear. This is not good." At the moment, Canas ran next to them. "I recommend a healing spell, and quickly." The great owl said. "I'll add my power to yours. We cannot have the Spirit Mage die."

"Right." Canas said, whipping out a healing staff. "Heal." He pointed the staff at Tiny Nino. The child shuddered, and Nino became visible again. "The cuts are still there." Canas said worriedly.

"Indeed. The cuts run deep, and the dark energy lingers. They will scar." The owl turned to Nino. "It is alarming that this happened. It was not supposed to happen in this manner."

"Who... who are you?" Nino asked. "I think Lakitu mentioned you. Are you Gaea?" The owl chuckled.

"Indeed. Hoo."

"Eo said... that his power was weaker because he was in the past. Didn't he say the same should be true for you?"

"It should be, were I from the future. Eo was mistaken when he thought I was not of this time."

"Then...?"

"This is my time, Spirit Mage. In the future, I am very powerful, more so than now. I know this because I have seen it."

"Did you know that this was going to happen?"

"Why, yes. How I know is a difficult explanation. I shall spare you. Just know that, were it not for Canas, you would be dead now. Ah, hoot. Canas, perhaps you should return the child to her home? The Spirit Mage and I have some things to discuss." Canas nodded, picked up Tiny Nino, and walked away. In one of his hands, he clutched the flower chain Tiny Nino had made. Suddenly, it appeared wrapped around Nino's wrist. "Eo was supposed to be driven away by you. It seems that nothing is set in stone. Lakitu warned me as such. He is indeed wiser than me." Gaea sighed.

"Why was I brought here?"

"To weaken Eo. To empower yourself. To discover the spell Squall. To discourage Eo from trying to conquer your present via your past."

"How is my uncle involved in all this?"

"Hoo, another reason for your trip. Canas is an agent of mine. I have agents, just like Lakitu, and Majora. And Adia, I believe it is. Now that you know of him, you will be able to call upon his help."

"How do you know so much about the future?"

"Another tedious explanation, one that you needn't hear. Enter the Void once more, Spirit Mage. You have a trip to make to the future, then no other time-related incidents will befall you."

"I don't want any more! Can't I just go home _now_?!"

"Hoo, unfortunately not."

"Fine." Nino sighed roughly. "Any ideas what I'm supposed to do in the future?"

"You are but to cast a single spell at Adia."

"Adia?! Why?"

"Yet another tedious explanation. It is not for you to know."

"Is there _anything_ that I should know?"

"Indeed. You are to cast the Ark spell upon her."

"I don't know that spell."

"You will." Gaea said with a smile in his eyes. He flapped his wings, and Nino was suddenly pulled into the Void. The Lines shot at her.

_Forgive us._ They begged as they carried her along. They spat her out a short while later. Nino flew into Elibe.

-

Nino looked around, and saw Adia outside Castle Reglais, talking to Lord Erk and Lady Nino.

"Oh, no." She groaned. She walked over to them, preparing the spell that was forming in her mind.

"Little Nino?" Lord Erk gasped when she reached them. "Why are you back here?" Beside him, Lady Nino gasped, and her eyes widened.

"Need my help going back home?" Adia asked. Both Lady and Little Nino stared at her in a pained expression. "Something wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Nino whispered, then cast Ark. Twelve orbs of purple light circled Adia. They flashed, then each fired a beam at her. Adia shrieked in pain. Nino saw Lady Nino wince, heard Lord Erk roar in anger, then felt herself being dragged into the Void again. The Lines flew into her, and carried her into back to her own time. Nino flew back into Elibe, and appeared in Erk's room.

**Erk**

"She just disappeared." Erk explained to Pent, Lakitu and Adia, in Pent's study. "We were... well." He shrugged. "I think she went to the Void."

"I doubt it was on purpose." Lakitu said thoughtfully. "There's no way she'd do that when you two were...well." He grinned. "I'm guessing something dragged her there."

"What about those scars?" Adia asked. "They just appeared suddenly?"

"Yeah. And now, in every memory I have of Nino, she has them."

"So, she went to the past, and she somehow scarred her younger self." Adia turned to Lakitu. "Feel any changes?" Lakitu shook his head. Suddenly, Adia shuddered.

"What is it?" Lakitu asked.

"I... I feel..." Adia couldn't find the words. Some strange energy had filled her body. Her mind and brain were working rapidly, somehow fixing themselves. "How...?" She gasped. "From the future..." She fell to her knees as her head started spinning. "How did it come backwards?" Then, she snapped her head to look at Lakitu. "I work for Eo!" She screamed. "He convinced me to join him, and spy on you! Luigi is working for him, too, he chose to!" Erk gasped, stepping back. Lakitu smiled knowingly. "I need to see Grandma!" Adia said, then teleported. Lakitu stared at the bowl of sand that he had brought. When Pent had alerted him to Nino's disappearance, he had a strong feeling she had gone to the past, so he brought a bowl of sand with him.

"Well?" Pent asked. Lakitu scooped the sand out of the bowl, performing the required actions for seeing. His eyes glazed for a few moments. When they returned to normal, he spoke.

"Nino hasn't changed anything in the present, except weakening Eo, making herself stronger, getting scars, and making Eo think twice about conquering the present through the past."

"Anything about Adia?"

"Nino attacked her in the future with a spell called Ark."

"No!" Erk shouted. "She wouldn't!"

"She did. For what purpose, I don't know. But, it seems the effects were just shown to us."

"Perhaps Nino herself can explain." Pent said. Lakitu nodded.

"Though, perhaps she doesn't know." He sighed. "We'll find out when we speak with her."

"You won't punish her, will you?" Erk asked. "I know Nino wouldn't do something like that without good reason."

"We all know that, Erk. We're only going to talk to her. If you could bring her here, please, Erk. I just felt her return." Erk nodded, and left.

"So, what're you hiding?" Pent asked.

"Hiding?" Lakitu replied, feigning innocence. "Oh, you know me too well. The spell Ark somehow healed Adia's brain and mind instantly. It had a few other effects that I'm not sure about, but I think they involve making Adia see past Eo's lies."

"What about her grandmother? Why does she need to see her?"

"Adia's grandmother is... well, it's hard to describe. Don't let it worry you."

"When you say that, it worries me more. How powerful is she?"

"That depends on your view of power." Lakitu replied cryptically.

"Explain, please."

"Adia's grandmother has no power of her own. That's not entirely accurate, but it's the best explanation. However, she can amplify and use the power of a willing subject."

"For what?"

"Anything she wants."

"So, why is Adia going to see her?"

"Who knows? I'll find out later."

"But, I didn't mean to..." Nino's voice sounded from outside the door.

"I know, love." Erk's voice said soothingly. "But, we need to know what happened." The door opened, and Erk walked inside, a nervous Nino in tow.

"I wish I could do something..." She moaned.

"You can tell us what you did, and why." Lakitu told her. Nino cringed, and clutched Erk's arm. "Calm down, dear." Lakitu said gently. "We understand that you didn't do it willingly. Just tell us what happened." Nino stared at him fearfully. Erk patted her encouragingly on the head, whispering 'it's fine'. Nino nervously stepped toward Lakitu, and began to describe her trip to the past and future.

**Adia**

"Grandma, I need your help." Adia said. She was on her hands and knees in front of an little human girl. "I need you to-"

"Shush, Adia." The girl said in a high voice. "Let your power speak." Adia nodded, and closed her eyes. She willed her power over to the girl, her grandmother, who closed her own eyes. "Ah, I see..." She mumbled. "Adia, do you wish to see what your power is telling me?"

"Please."

"Very well."

--

At first, it was all rushing. It was confusing, nothing made sense.

_Calm down._ A voice scolded. _Make sense._ The rush settled, then began to show clear images. A turtle, the master, looking confused and upset. He had just discovered the damage he had caused Adia. He was desperately trying to figure out how it had happened, and what he could do. He was also upset because he had sent Adia into the lion's den, so to speak. He knew that he should have gone himself, but he hadn't dared. He hated himself for putting Adia in such danger. _Good. Now, show her the other thing._ Images of a happy, proud-looking Lakitu appeared. Such a good student. She learns so quickly, and so well. She does as she's told. She's even started working on replacing me. She's the best I could hope for. I'll do everything to protect her until the time comes. _And the final image._ Eo. Such a dark, evil power. A huge, smothering presence. A well-practised liar and manipulator. Poor Adia, in her weakened state, had been such easy prey. How the Evil One rejoiced in winning her so easily. To have Lakitu's apprentice on his side was exactly what he wanted. _Show her what she needs to see._ What she needed to see? A huge rush swamped Adia's mind.

_I have the power to make a difference. To change things. To make people happy. To protect what I hold dear. Master Lakitu has taught me how to be a better person. Stronger, smarter. He cares for me so much. He is even honoured to have me as his student. How dare you try to betray him? After what he has done, you had no right. He may have made mistakes, but consider his position. Would you do any better, if you were in his place? No, Adia. You would not. If anything, you would have done worse. Have compassion for our poor master, and the stress he is under. Work with him, not against. Prove yourself to him, so he will ask more of you. Lighten his load. Take care of the master, Adia. He will not be as such for long._

--

Adia gasped as reality returned.

"Do you understand?" The child in front of her asked.

"I do..." Adia found herself crying. "I do, I do... Oh, I'm such a horrible person!"

"Nonsense, child." The child scoffed. "You are impressionable. Your mind was weak at the time. You are good girl, and you try to make people happy. But, you also have a strong sense of justice and vengeance."

"I understand, Grandma. I won't make this mistake again."

"Good. I don't want to see you here for something like this again."

"Yes, Grandma."

"I do expect you to visit me more often, though. I get lonely from time to time."

"Yes, Grandma." Adia smiled. "Do you want me to stay for a while?"

"I'd like that very much. Perhaps you can tell me all about what you've learned from Master Lakitu?"

"Do you know him?"

"Indeed I do. I taught him at one time."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Nerra**

The green Chaos Emerald was within reach. Link grinned at Nerra, who stood beside him.

"What's the betting something shows up to stop us?" He asked the winged girl.

"A kiss." Nerra replied jokily.

"You're on." Link chuckled. "So, if something shows up, you kiss me. If it doesn't, I kiss you."

"Link, I was kidding."

"So was I. Let's go." Link walked toward the emerald, floating lazily above the ground of the mountaintop. Link knew something was bound to show up, and so it did. A large green wolf, made of crystal, materialised in front them. "Nerra, you owe me a kiss." Link joked. He had been in an excellent mood ever since listening to his baby, kicking in Malon's stomach.

"Honey, calm down and take this seriously." Nerra countered. Calling him 'honey' seemed to have the desired effect, as Link's eyes hardened in concentration.

_Only Malon can call me 'honey', or anything like that._ He thought. The wolf leered at him.

"Need some help?" Nerra asked.

"I'll be fine."

"Good, 'cos I've got my own problems." Turning, Link saw a green crystal bird staring at Nerra. Link turned his attention back to the wolf, which was poised to pounce.

"C'mon, little puppy." Link teased. "I wanna go home sometime today." The wolf seemed to understand his taunt. It growled and leapt at him.

_Some Maiden power would be nice, Malon._ Link thought, trying to reach his mind to Malon. He stepped aside, and the wolf landed beside him.

_Wow, I can hear you!_ Malon's voice cried, shocked. _Will this do for Maiden power?_ It did. Link felt the strength rush through him, and he kicked the wolf's side. The effect was different to what would usually happen. Especially to something of that size. The wolf flew several feet to the left, narrowly missing the crystal bird that had just flown into the air chasing Nerra.

_I think that's perfect._ Link replied.

_Good. Don't get yourself killed._ Malon replied. Link nodded, and ran at the wolf, which looked suitably surprised. He made a grab for his sword, then froze.

_Oh, no way..._

_Way, Link._ Malon sounded disappointed. _Your sword is next to our bed. Don't worry, you can still defeat it._

_That was careless._ Link sighed. The wolf ran at him again.

_Uppercut!_ Malon cried, as though she was egging on someone in a playground fight. Link did so, sending the wolf flipping through the air, shattering it's jaw. _You know, I'm gonna have to ask Lakitu if Maidens and their partners can telepath. This might be something new to him._

_Doubt it._ Link thought, leaping after the wolf and hammer-kicking it to the ground, shards of its head spraying everywhere. The wolf landed in a crumpled heap, and Link followed it down, fist ready to strike. He impacted the wolf in the back, and it broke in two. Without wasting a moment, Link yanked the wolf's core, a small red green crystal, out of its severed body, then proceeded to smash it. The wolf crumbled into tiny shards. He looked up to the sky, and saw Nerra pounding on the bird with huge beams. A moment later, the bird fell to the ground in pieces. It began to regenerate, the pieces moving toward each other. Link dashed to it, pulled it's core from its body and destroyed it. Nerra landed a moment later.

"So _that's_ how you do it." She said, breathless. "I swear, I broke that thing into pieces at least three times, and it kept fixing itself."

"Well, now you know." Link told her, patting her on the back. He walked over to, and picked up, the green emerald. "Is it me, or is this getting easier?"

"Who knows?" Nerra replied. "I hope it _is_ getting easier, though. I wanna hurry up and go home with Ganondorf."

"So, you two really are an item?"

"Of course." Nerra blushed. "And I'm hoping we'll be the same in Hyrule."

"Well, you were almost there." Link grinned. "You'll get together again in no time."

"I hope so. Problem is, I'll go back to whatever I was in Hyrule. I have no idea what I was like. I might have been cruel and heartless, and not cared about Ganondorf at all." She looked worried.

"I'm sure you weren't like that." Link said reassuringly. "It'll be fine." He gave her a quick hug. "Ganondorf said you were a nice person, so you must have been."

"Thanks, Link." Nerra smiled at him. "That means alot." She remembered when she first saw Ganondorf, when he was looking for her on the street. How nervous she had been! She didn't understand why she hoped she wasn't the person he was looking for. She closed her eyes and shuddered, scolding herself for that. Ganondorf was so good for her, he cared about her so much. She shouldn't have thought that. When Nerra opened her eyes, everything was different. Link was gone. The mountain was gone. So was all of Mobius. There was just a vast darkness, dotted with glowing orbs. Behind her, a large orb that she somehow recognised as Mobius. Nerra opened her mouth to call out to anyone who might be there, but no sound came.

_What's going on?_ She asked herself. _I can't talk! Where am I?!_ Then, it happened. A feeling Nerra had never experienced came over her. Power. Immense, endless, supreme, god-like power. _What is this?_ Nerra stared at herself. She was glowing. _Is this... my power? What Adia and Lakitu were talking about? But where did it come from?_ The answer came to her. _Ah, I see. The worlds. I've been to most of these worlds, and gained great power in all of them. Because I'm in the space where they all exist, I've got the power I had in all of those worlds, all at the same time._ She grinned. This power truly was huge. The world of Mobius, hovering before her, was nothing more than a speck of dust in comparison. She could squash it as easily as one would squash a flower's head. So easy. Her wings burst into flames, and her hair turned a bright orange as transformed into another self of hers; Flame-Winged Nerra. She had many other selves; Water-Wing, Light-Wing, Storm-Wing, Thunder-Wing, Ice-Wing... the list went on. Nerra changed back to Night-Wing. As she revelled in her power, she remembered something that Lakitu had said. Apparently, it had been designed so Nerra could never reach her full power. Either there was a loop-hole in that design, or this wasn't her full power. _If it's not,_ Nerra thought, _then how powerful am I really? Unbelievable..._ Such power was unthinkable. How could she be so strong? Strong enough to destroy whole worlds with little more than a thought? Strong enough, perhaps, to defeat Eo even in his immortal half-selves? At that moment, Lakitu appeared next to her.

_I don't know how you managed it._ His voice said in her mind. _But, you can't be here. Go back to Mobius, quickly._

_Who are you to command me, Cloud-rider?_ Nerra snapped back. _I have more power than you could ever hope to achieve. Do _not_ give me orders._

_Nerra, calm down. The power you have is twisting you._

_Twisting me? If anyone's been twisting anyone here, it's you. Twisting Link and Mario into doing your bidding._ She knew Mario now. She had been to both Earth and the Mushroom Kingdom once upon a time.

_Nerra, please. Ganondorf is worried._ That shook Nerra. Ganondorf? The man she loved. But, she had had many of those, on other worlds. What difference was one more? Emotions seemed to only be good for holding people back. _Do you want to make him worry?_

_Silence!_ Nerra snapped. Though, Lakitu's words shook her again. No, she didn't want to make him worry. She wanted to see him again. _Fine. I'll go back. Just answer me one question._

_Name it._

_Is this my true power? My full power?_ She was desperate to know. Lakitu scoffed.

_Please. If it was so easy for you to reach your full power, then you would have done so long ago, when you were an evil Nerra._

_Then, I can be stronger?!_ Nerra was shocked. _Even stronger than this??_

_Of course. I might even torture you by..._ Lakitu grinned. _Never mind. You'll forget by the time you go back to Mobius._

_What? Tell me! How would you torture me?_ Then, it hit her. _There _is_ a way for me to get my full strength? How? I need to know! I need to get my full strength so I can help Ganondorf and everyone! Please, Lakitu!_

_No, Nerra. You'd forget it, anyway. Besides that, you can't be trusted with it._

_Why not?_

_Just now, you almost destroyed a world. You threatened me. This tiny sliver of your power is already poisoning you. I daren't imagine what all of it might do. Then again, I don't need to. I've seen it._

_When? How?_

_A long time ago. Tedious explanation. The Scholars all banded together to ensure that it would never happen again._

_What happened?_

_Suffice to say, all the worlds you see here are barely a billionth of what there once were. You destroyed the rest, simply because you were 'annoyed'_

_Wh...what?_ Nerra blanched. So many lives... ended because she was annoyed? How cruel had she been at that time?

_So you understand, it is vital that you never achieve such power again._

_One more question, Lakitu._

_Very well._

_With all that power, could I kill Eo? Even in his immortal half-selves?_

_Easily._

_What about now? With this 'tiny sliver'?_

_Again, easily._

_How?_

_Getting ideas, Nerra? We'll never lure Eo into the Void. It's the one place he won't go._

_Still, how? I'm curious._

_With a powerful enough energy blast, you could shatter the immortality that covers Eo's halves. After that, it'd be a simple case of casting any remotely powerful spell._

_No way... it's possible to destroy the immortality of a person?_

_Yes, indeed. But, even all of the Scholars combined, from past, present and future, cannot conjure something powerful enough._

_But I could? Easily?_ Nerra was visibly shaking. Lakitu nodded.

_Then... _Nerra shook her head. _I'm going back. I can't bear to think of such power. It's... not right. Only a God should have such power._

_The amount of people who agree with you is staggering._ Lakitu said with a silent chuckle. _Just fly into Mobius' orb, Nerra. You'll appear on the mountaintop where you came here from._

_Alright. Thank you, Lakitu. _Nerra flew into the orb. Lakitu sighed silently.

_To recover her full strength..._ He thought to himself. _Is such an insultingly easy task. Why did they decide to make it so easy?_ He teleported away.

**Malon**

Something was concerning Malon. Lately, the baby had been kicking quite violently, and on very regular occasion. Pains tore at her stomach at regular intervals, making her fall to her knees every time. Why would the baby be acting like that?

"I'll have to ask Lakitu..." Malon breathed, recovering from another bout of agony. She was on her knees at the top of the stairs, sweat rolling down her face, her whole body hot. "What's happening to me?"

"It might just be some difficulties with the baby." Mighty suggested from behind. Malon gasped, and a pang of pain hit her. "Woah, sorry. Didn't mean to surprise you." He gently helped her to her feet. "Ask Lakitu. He should be able to do something."

"I'm just worried... that it's because I came here. Teleporting is bad for unborn babies, Lakitu said. I think something must have happened to the baby when I came to Mobius. I think... it might be dying."

"Hey, hey, don't think like that." Mighty said softly, walking her down the stairs. Malon stumbled as her stomach burst in pain again. "Hasn't this been happening more often lately?"

"Yeah..." Malon hissed through her teeth. "I need to see Lakitu right now. I need to know what's happening, and what we can do about it."

"You're in luck, Maiden." A familiar warm voice said from the front door. There, with Link, was Lakitu.

"Lakitu!" Malon cried happily. "Thank Farore you'r-AAGGH!" Her stomach erupted again, even worse than before. Malon slumped in Mighty's arms. Everyone instantly rushed to her side as she pulled herself upright.

"Are you alright, Maiden?" Lakitu asked, sounding panicked. "Are you- Oh, my." He stared at Malon's stomach.

"What's wrong? Why is it hurting me like this?"

"I'm... not sure, Maiden." Lakitu replied, looking confused.

"Have you got any ideas?" Link asked him. Lakitu shook his head.

"I honestly haven't. Usually people don't teleport when they're pregnant, so I don't know the side effects. Anything could happen."

"Could you find out?"

"I'll do what I can. I promise." With that, he disappeared.

"Wait..." Malon pleaded quietly. At that moment, Nerra walked inside.

"Some... something wrong?" She asked, surprised by what she was seeing. "Why are you all...?" She gasped. "Wh-what happened?!"

"Malon's been getting real bad stomach pains lately." Link told her.

"Why? How come? What's happening to her? Does Lakitu know?"

"He showed up just as she got a pain. He doesn't know what's going on, either." Link sighed.

"Well... he'll figure something out, I'm sure." Nerra assured the pair. "I think you should take Malon to bed. She should rest."

"I kinda figured I should do that." Link said. "Mighty, can you take Malon to her room?"

"Link, come with me, please?" Malon asked.

"Not... just yet, Malon. I'm sorry. I'll be with you in a minute."

"O...kay." Malon sighed sadly. Then winced and hissed as another pain hit her. Mighty gently walked her back to her room. When she was out of sight, Link turned to Nerra.

"Any ideas?" He asked.

"The baby's probably in pain, and it's trying to tell her. That's all I can think of."

"Jeez..." Link sighed roughly. "I hope it'll be okay."

"I'm sure it will be." Nerra assured him, squeezing his shoulder. "Malon's tough. You're a Hero. Your child will be strong, too. It'll pull through this."

"I hope so." Link managed a weak smile, and gripped Nerra's hand. "I really do."

"I'll bet the Spirit Mage would know. She's ancient, so she's bound to know something about this."

"If she even exists. I'm not gonna start clinging to straws like that until it gets desperate."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help."

"I know." Link gave her a gentle hug. "I appreciate it." Nerra smiled. "I'm gonna go now." He walked up the stairs. Nerra gave a gentle pat on the back as he left. As soon as he was gone, her smile disappeared. Something was gnawing at her mind.

_To recover her full strength..._ _Is such an insultingly easy task. Why did they decide to make it so easy?_ She had heard Lakitu say that. She couldn't remember when, or why, but she somehow knew that he had been referring to her. What did she have to do to get her full power? Adia and Lakitu had mentioned it one time, saying that nothing was a match for her at full strength. If this was true, then all Nerra had to do was regain her full strength, kill Eo, and everyone could go back to how they were before. So, what did she have to do? Shaking the thought from her head, Nerra decided to ask Lakitu, or maybe even Adia, some time. She walked into the living room, and sat on the sofa, waiting for Ganondorf.

**Ganondorf**

"Puny crystal beast." Ganondorf grinned. A purple crystalline lion-like beast lay before him, twitching as if trying to stand again. Ganondorf gripped its core in his hand, and crushed it. The beast whined, then fell silent. "These Chaos Emeralds really should try harder to defend themselves.

"Not everyone on Mobius has your kind of power, Ganondorf." Robotnik said from behind him. "The emeralds weren't expecting someone like you to come after them."

"Feh. I thought they were all-knowing?"

"To an extent. With beings in this world. They know _of_ beings in others, but they can't accurately predict their actions. The final emerald, however, should be somewhat tougher."

"It'll be ready for me, will it?" He sneered. "I like a good challenge."

"Well, that's what you'll get." Robotnik walked forward, and lifted the purple emerald from its pedestal. The two stood inside a cave, somewhere in a canyon. "Let's get back to the others. Tails is still trying to pinpoint the seventh, and I'd like to lend a hand."

"You realise we probably won't get much credit for this."

"What d'you mean?"

"We were villains, once. No-one will ever trust us completely."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Robotnik said with a shrug. "It'll take time, but I'm sure people could come to trust us. And when they do..." He grinned wickedly. Ganondorf frowned. "Oh, I'm just kidding. Although, life will be pretty boring without trying to take over Mobius, and battling with Sonic."

"I'm sure you'll find something else to pass the time. We're not the only evildoers out there, after all."

"You've taken to this side-changing very well. I'm having trouble adjusting, to be honest."

"Well, I was working for Eo at one point. He sort of made me change my loyalties. And thanks to Nerra, those loyalties stuck."

"I wish I had someone to help me along like that. It's hard for me not to just take this emerald right now, and use it to power one of my mechas."

"Then perhaps I'd better take it." Ganondorf said, striding forward and snatching the emerald from Robotnik's hand. "Let's get going." He turned and walked out of the cave. Robotnik stared wistfully at a cave wall for a moment, then followed him. Outside, a small, two-seater plane of Robotniks' making awaited them. Ganondorf sat himself in the back seat while Robotnik hefted himself into the front, and fired up the engines.

"A little too trusting, these good guys." Robotnik said with a chuckle. "They believed me almost straight away."

"When your current enemy is greater than your former enemy, you can't afford to be choosey." Ganondorf replied. The plane took off, and flew toward Sonic's house. "And when your allies are greater than you, you tend to stay obedient." He added with a mutter.

"You say something?" Robotnik called over the howling wind.

"Nothing!" Ganondorf called back.

_Lakitu's power... and now Adia. I can't afford to betray them. Though nothing would give me greater pleasure than having all of the Triforce, and ruling Hyrule, I can't risk such a thing. _Then he frowned. He knew he was wrong, that he was lying to himself. _Something _would_ give me greater pleasure._ He realised. _Living happily in Hyrule with Nerra would. It'd kill her if I tried to conquer Hyrule again. I couldn't do that to her._

--

"Ganny!" Nerra cried when Ganondorf walked inside the living room. "How'd it go?" She asked, throwing herself at him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"It was easy." Ganondorf replied, returning the hug. "I'm expecting a tougher challenge, if I go for the final emerald."

"I hope you do. It'll be no match for you."

"I want it to be a match. I haven't had a good fight in years."

"Didn't our training exercises count?" She asked.

"Training... you remember that?"

"Yeah. On Hyrule, I was second in command to you. We had alot of spars, to pass the time and keep our skills in check."

"I thought you weren't supposed to... remember such things from your time in Hyrule?"

"So did I." She released him, and took a step. "But, for some reason, I can remember everything. I actually won seven out of eighteen matches!" She grinned. "You won nine, and the other two were draws."

"This... shouldn't be possible." Ganondorf breathed. "How are you remembering all this? You weren't supposed to remember this much. Lakitu said you were only supposed to remember who you were, who I am, and what _we_ were."

"I don't know, Ganny. I don't know, but I'm glad I am."

"Wotcher, coming through!" A sweet voice cried. Turning, Ganondorf and Nerra saw Adia. "Hi! Need to borrow Nerra. You mind?"

"What? What for?" Nerra asked.

"You need to come with me. Master wants to talk to you."

"Is it important?"

"Very." Adia said, nodding fervently. "He says so, anyway. Personally, I think it's great that..." She trailed off. "Anyway, I need Nerra. Is it okay, Ganny?"

"Wha-" Ganondorf blushed. "Don't call me that. That name's for Nerra only. Besides, it's up to her if she goes or not."

"I'll go." Nerra told them. "If Lakitu needs me, then I have to go."

"We'll have to be careful in the University." Adia warned her.

"Why?"

"You've been there before, and you were..." She coughed. "Well, there's an army of Scholars on hand to subdue and control you."

"Subdue? I wasn't a bad person there, was I?" Nerra paled.

"Take this, Nerra." Ganondorf said, offering her a pendant. "If my theory is right, this should help you." Nerra took the pendant, and tied it around her neck.

"Thanks, Ganny. See you later." She took Adia's outstretched hand, and the two teleported.

**Nerra**

_This place._ Nerra thought with a growl. _Never thought I'd come here again. _She stared around at the University towering over her. She stood in the central grounds, which was situated between the four main buildings. _They're here to welcome me._ She mused, staring at all the Scholars. They all looked ready to fight. Nerra planned to give them one. At the front of the crowd stood Lakitu and Majora.

"I must say, it's good to be back." Nerra said loudly, in a callous tone. "And my two favourites are here to greet me." She grinned malevolently at Lakitu and Majora. She mentally prepared a plan of attack. Halfway through, a thought stopped her. Who is this person? Why is she speaking like this? This isn't me!

_Yes it is._ Nerra growled at the thought. _This is me. It always has been._

_Are you so sure? _It asked. An image of a pendant on her chest flashed.

_What is this? Where did I get this?_

"Take it easy, Nerra." Lakitu's voice said. "I just want to talk."

"Shut up!" Nerra snapped, annoyed at the interruption. She fingered the pendant, holding it up to the light. "What _is_ this? I've never had a pendant before."

_Ganondorf._ The thought whispered. _Remember him?_

_No! Whoever's messing with my mind, stop it! I'll destroy these Scholars, here and now!_ A spell flared up in her hands. The Scholars prepared spells of their own. Nerra turned to the short, pale girl next to her.

"You, girl. Stop messing with my mind, or I'll kill you." She hissed.

"Who me?" The girl asked. "I'm not doing anything." She smiled sweetly. "You're doing it to yourself."

"Enough of the mind tricks! I'll kill you all!" She threw the spell at the pale girl.

_No, no! Not Adia!_ The voice cried. The pale girl lazily, yet quickly, threw up a defensive shield. The spell thumped uselessly against it and disappeared.

"It seems the Scholars have gotten stronger since my last visit." Nerra noted. Then, she noted the shocked looks on the faces of the assembled. "What? What is it?"

_Don't hurt Adia. Ganny wouldn't like it._ The name sent a shiver down Nerra's spine. Ganny! The man who... who was he? _Ganny, your lover. He loves you, Nerra, and you love him. _We_ love him. We don't want to hurt Ganny, do we?_ An image of Ganondorf, smiling gently, flickered in her head.

"Stop it!" Nerra gasped, throwing another spell at the pale girl.

_Not Adia!_ The voice gasped. _Don't hurt anyone! They're all friends._ A thousand spells flew at her.

_Doesn't seem that way._ Nerra hissed. Her wings grew in size and wrapped around her body. The spells deflected harmlessly away.

_You're attacking them. Stop it. Ganny will be angry._

"Shut up!" Nerra cried. Her legs started shaking. "Get out of my head!"

"No-one's there, sweetie." The pale girl told her, her voice almost hypnotic. "It's just you."

"No! Someone's messing with me!"

_Ganny. Don't make Ganny angry. I don't like angry Ganny._ Nerra threw another spell in rage. This person, whoever it was, was going to pay. _We love Ganny. Don't make Ganny angry. It'll make us sad._

"No! No no no!" Nerra sent an energy wave, which the Scholars only just managed to defend against. "G-ganny..." She moaned, then fell to her knees. "Who... is Ganondorf?"

_Our lover, Nerra. We love him, Nerra. We love Ganny. We don't want to make Ganny angry. Or sad. _Nerra looked at the pendant again.

"Ganny... I'm... so sorry." She shrunk her wings to normal size, then looked up at the pale girl, Adia. "I'm sorry, Adia." She said shakily. "I'm okay, now. I'm not the Nerra from here."

"Excellent!" Lakitu boomed, floating forwards on his cloud. "Tell me, Nerra, where were you before now?"

"I was on Mobius with Ganondorf. Adia came and said that you needed to speak with me."

"Quite so. Ganondorf's pendant worked like a charm." He chuckled, evidently at some sort of private joke. "Adia, I'd quite like a word with you afterwards."

"Sure thing." Adia replied. "Let's go, Nerra."

--

"Your memory seems to be changing." Lakitu said to Nerra. "You're remembering things from other worlds, when you shouldn't." They were in Lakitu's study with Majora, Pent, Gaea and Adia.

"We have theories." Majora added. "But nothing conclusive, nothing solid. So, myself, Lakitu and our friends would like to explore you."

"Ex... I'm sorry, what?" Nerra asked, confused.

"My apologies." Majora said with a chuckle. "We'd like to delve into your mind, your spirit, and whatnot, to find out what's happening."

"You won't do anything in there, will you? Like, mess with me?"

"Of course not." A nearby owl said. "Like you kept telling yourself, we don't want to make Ganny angry."

"Was it you?" Nerra gasped, leaping to her feet. "Did you mess with my head?"

"No." The owl hooted, amused. "But, I was listening. I was curious as to why you were acting so strange." A smile twinkled in his eyes. "We're not the tricksters we once were."

"Indeed." Pent agreed. "So, Night-Winged Nerra. With your permission, we'd like to explore you."

"Alright. As long as I can come along for the ride." She told them. They all chuckled, except Adia.

"Okay, then." Lakitu said happily, in his trademarked warm voice. "Let's begin."

--

So vast. More vast than any ocean, and Nerra had seen alot of them. More vast than space, and Nerra had seen the ends of that. More vast than the Void, which Nerra hadn't seen the ends of. So deep. So huge. So... complex. Nerra was amazed at just how massive her mind and spirit were. She watched as Lakitu, Majora, Adia, Pent and Gaea flew around, looking at... various things. Nerra didn't recognise what they were. To her confusion, the five started talking to these things. Nerra moved herself toward Adia, wondering what she was talking to. It was some form of white mist, with a face shaped vaguely like hers. Looking over to the others, Nerra saw that they were also talking to Nerra-faced mists. What was this?

"So, how long have you been able to see?" Adia was asking the mist in front of her.

"Since Ganny came." It replied. "Look, I already have an arm!" It waved a mis-shapen arm-like object. "We're all going to be whole again!"

"I'm happy for you." Adia said kindly. "But, what will you do when that happens?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you're all one again, who will you be?"

"I... don't know." The mist replied uncertainly. "We want to be Nerra again. We want to be one again."

"Why?"

"Why? Because... we're supposed to be whole. We're supposed to be one person, one Nerra. Not bits and pieces, hovering in her subconcious."

"You've lived like this for countless millennia. Why the sudden change?"

"I... don't want to tell you." The mist turned a light red. It was blushing.

"Well, I want to know. It will be tough, you know. So many Nerras trying to be the only Nerra."

"No, not like that!" The mist gasped. "We're not fighting to be the only one. We _all_ want to be the only one. We're going to merge."

"Oh, merging." Adia gasped, like she'd only just got it. "I see. That's clever."

"Isn't it?"

"But still, who will you be?"

"We'll be Nerra. I'm not sure what you mean, Miss. Isn't being Nerra enough?"

"Never mind, dear. I hope you all get to be whole again. But, why do you want to? What made you decide this?" The face in the mist looked away.

"Ganny." It whispered.

"Ah, I see." Adia said with a smile. "Dearest Ganny." She giggled. "Well, best of luck. I'm going to talk to another." She floated away. Nerra was confused. They were all talking to _her?_ Other hers? She looked at the mist, which was reutrning to its white colour. It looked at her.

"We're going to be one soon." It said happily. "We can all be with Ganny, and we can all be happy. And we'll never, ever forget again."

"That's... wonderful." Nerra said uncertainly, following Adia. The mist she was talking to was more vicious than the last.

"Because I want to!" It snapped. "I want to be one Nerra again, and nothing's going to stop me! I'll destroy all who try! I _will_ be whole again!"

"I never said you wouldn't." Adia said patiently, as though talking to a moody child. "I was just wondering why."

"That's none of your business!" It said, blushing. "Go away, you nosey witch!"

"Please tell me? I want to help you."

"Help me, eh? No-one else has helped me, so why should you?"

"Because I'm nice."

"I... yes, I suppose you are. Alright, I can tell you. Ganny. I want to be one again, so I can be with him and make him happy."

"Aw, that's so sweet. I'll try to help when I can, okay?"

"Thank." It said, the red deepening. Adia moved on to another. "You won't resist me, will you?" The mist said to Nerra. "You want to be whole again, don't you?"

"I... don't want to be a small piece of who I once was." Nerra replied. "I want to be all of me."

"Then, let's all look forward to being one again."

"Y-yes, let's..." Nerra followed Adia again. She looked over her shoulder, and saw Gaea talking to a mist that was different to the others. It was the biggest, and stood out the most. It was also just below the place where they had all entered. Nerra turned and flew over to Gaea.

"Hoo, wonderful to see you again, Miss Nerra." The owl was saying.

"You, too, Gaea." The mist replied. "Hey, did you know? We're all going to be one soon!"

"Marvelous. That will be a wonderful day."

"I know! I can't wait to see Ganny again!" Again? Then, this was... Hyrule Nerra?

"I'm sure. But, I'm concerned."

"About what?"

"There are lots of evil and cruel Nerras around here. I worry that perhaps they will affect your whole self."

"Oh, no need to worry." The mist assured him. "All we want to do is be with Ganny. We'll do whatever makes him happy. So really, how we turn out is up to him."

"I certainly hope so. Hoot hoo. I must speak with the others, Miss Nerra. Hear their opinions."

"Of course. Take care, Gaea."

"Will do." Gaea flew away. The five Scholars spent several hours talking to various Mist-Nerras. When they were satisfied, Adia floated over to Nerra.

"We're done. We're going back." She said. With a sudden jolt, Nerra was back in Lakitu's study.

--

"Alarming." Was all Nerra heard Lakitu say, before Adia whisked her back to Mobius.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Shadow**

Shadow stopped his running, and looked around. This area was Mobius, it seemed. He recognised the city where he and Sonic lived. But, it was very dark and depressing. People miserably shuffled back and forth, grumbling. They were all walking in and out of some form of factories. Shadow wondered how this future could have happened. Everything that everyone was fighting for, back in his time. Was it all for nothing? Would they all fail? Shadow refused to believe that. This was some form of trick, he told himself.

"There he is!" A voice yelled. Shadow looked around.

"Alone? Out of his fortress?" Another voice asked. "Something's up."

"Well, I'm taking this chance." Shadow finally saw the owner of the voice. Sonic. "Shadow, I'm taking you down!" He roared, rushing at him. Shadow gasped, then quickly dodged to one side. Sonic skidded to a halt half a moment later, and dashed back at him. Behind Shadow, Knuckles was running at him, as well.

"You're finished, traitor!" He howled. Shadow neatly dodged the attacks from both assailants.

"What's going on here?" He asked, confused.

"Like you don't know." Knuckles growled. "You sold us out, you betrayed us!"

"I did?" Shadow didn't like the sound of this.

"Playing dumb, are you?" Knuckles clenched his fists tighter. "You even tricked me into helping you. We _will_ destroy you, Shadow. And reclaim Mobius."

"But I didn't-"

"SHUT UP!" Knuckles threw a punch at him. It landed squarely on Shadow's temple, rocketing him to the side. Shadow landed in a crumpled heap, and achingly propped himself up on his elbows. Knuckles and Sonic charge again, ready to finish him off.

"Stop! Stop stop stop!" A female voice cried. Someone's arms wrapped around Shadow's head. Looking up, Shadow recognised Amy. "Don't do it!" She said tearfully. "Don't hurt him!"

"Amy, move." Sonic growled. "He's a traitor. You know that."

"There must be a reason." Amy protested. "Why else would he come here, unguarded, alone? He wants to talk with us!"

"The time for talk is over! Get out of the way!"

"NO! I won't let you hurt my Shadow!" _Her_ Shadow? This was getting strange. Since when were Shadow and Amy...? "Please, Sonic. Give him a chance."

"Amy..." Sonic stared at her helplessly. "Fine. But, the moment he tries anything, he's dead."

"Thank you, Sonic." Amy released Shadow, and offered him a hand. Shadow took it warily, and got to his feet. "Are you alright, my love?" She asked tenderly, gently stroking his bruised temple.

"I'm... fine." Shadow told her, brushing her hand away. "What... is going on here?"

"Knuckles, you hit him too hard!" Amy said harshly. "Now he can't remember anything!"

"Feh." Knuckles spat. "He deserves it."

"Deserves what?" Shadow asked. "What did I do?"

"You joined Eo, sweetie." Amy told him. "I know there's a reason, though. Will you tell me why?"

"I joined... no, I'd never." Shadow shook his head. "I refuse to believe that I'd do such a thing. I thought we were all trying to stop him?"

"That's old news, Shadow." Sonic cut in. "You betrayed us. Three years ago yesterday."

"Not... possible."

"Very possible." A familiar voice sounded. The four looked and saw a very familiar face. A very familiar hedgehog.

"Shadow?!" Amy gasped. "But then, who..." She looked at the Shadow next to her, and the Shadow behind Sonic and Knuckles. "How is this possible?" Future-Shadow sneered.

"Amy. As beautiful as ever, I see. Ah, and the old me." He chuckled. "Mitrea told me about you. You came from the past, I believe. So, are you from the time where Amy and I are becoming a couple?"

"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked, confused. "Who are you?" Future-Shadow chuckled again.

"I know I'm not stupid."

"Fine. You're the future me. But, why did you join Eo? Right now, in my time, we're all fighting against him. What makes me change my mind?"

"Why, this. Right now." Future Shadow said, spreading his arms to indicate everything around him. "I came here once, just like you. I was in your exact position. I saw that Eo was bound to take over. There was no stopping him. There still isn't."

"But... I'd never give up hope. I'd never just roll over like a dog."

"Oh, so you're not there yet? No, no, of course you're not." Future-Shadow said with a sigh. "Amy, my dear, come over here."

"No way!" Sonic stood in between him and Amy, blocking his view of her. "I'm not trusting her to you."

"You have my promise not to harm her. If she doesn't come over here, then you'll never learn my reasons."

"I'll do it, Sonic. It's okay." Amy said, stepping forward. Shadow reached a hand to stop her, then withdrew it. For some reason, he didn't want to see Amy walking away from him.

"And there it is started." Future-Shadow said, almost happily. Amy stood next to him, a meek expression on her face. Future-Shadow put an arm around her shoulders. "This divine girl right here is my reason." He said loudly. "I offered to join Eo under the promise that he wouldn't hurt her. Three years on, he has been true to his word. I'm not about to betray him when my beloved's safety is at risk." He sighed. "If we had carried on fighting Eo, then Amy would have been seriously hurt, or worse. I couldn't bear to face that. I _wouldn't_ face that. So I swore myself to Eo, in exchange for her safety."

"So that's why nothing ever attacks her." Sonic mumbled. "I thought that was strange."

"Yeah." Knuckles agreed. "But, what's stranger is that Eo kept his promise."

"I'm a valuable servant to Eo." Future-Shadow said, almost proudly. "He won't do anything that'll jeapordise my servitude to him."

"It all makes sense." Amy whispered, staring at Future-Shadow. "You did it to protect me..." She cupped his face in her hands. "Oh, my love... thank you." She kissed him soundly on the lips. Sonic and Knuckles turned their heads away.

"What did you mean," Shadow spoke up, "When you said 'here it is started'?"

"You didn't want Amy to come over here, did you?" Future-Shadow asked. Shadow shook his head. "I didn't want that either, when I was in your shoes. That's how my relationship with her started." He smiled, then looked at Amy. "Amy, dear, will you come with me to my fortress? Or do you want to stay with the others?"

"Um... I don't know." Amy muttered.

"The choice is yours to make. You'll be safe either way. As long as you're safe, I'm happy."

"I'll.. stay with them a while longer." Amy said with finality, though her voice quivered. "I want to overthrow Eo, so you don't have to be his servant any more. Then we can be happy again."

"Alright, then." Future-Shadow hugged her, then gently pushed her over to Sonic. "I'll see you all later." He dashed away.

"Wait!" Sonic snapped, but he was already gone. "Dammit. Well, at least we've made some sense of this." He turned to Shadow. "So, how did you get here?"

"I think a Chaos Emerald sent me here." Shadow replied.

"Ah, yeah. That red one, in the desert. I remember that. You came back a little later, but you were different. Now I know why."

"Sorry I hit you, Shadow." Knuckles apologised. "But how was I supposed to know that you were from the past?"

"You weren't." Shadow said. "It's alright, Knuckles."

"Shadow, let's go to the house." Amy said, holding his hand. "Let's work out a way to get you back where you belong." The pair were about to turn and start walking, when a short, pale girl appeared. "Adia!" Amy hissed. "Get out of here, you traitorous witch!"

"Adia betrayed us, too?!" Shadow gasped. Adia smiled happily at them, swaying side to side as always. "What do you want here?" Shadow asked.

"Greetings from a different time!" Adia cried, like an over-excited child. "I got just one thing to say to you all!" She punched the air.

"And what might that be?" Amy asked, frowning.

"Spirit Mage!" Then she waved and disappeared.

"Spirit... what was that about?" Amy pondered. "Oh, whatever. She's weird. Never makes sense. C'mon, Shadow, let's go home. Oh, and when you get back to your own time, don't betray us. I want us to be happy together. Don't worry about me. If I die fighting Eo, then so be it. I'm happy to die for a chance at freedom."

"But... Amy..." Shadow began. He didn't want her to die at all.

"No buts, Shadow." Amy said sharply. "We're all in this together. We all knew, and still know, the risks. I don't expect special treatment."

"If... you say so, Amy. I'll see what I can do."

"No!" Amy snapped, yanking Shadow's arm. Shadow stumbled backwards, and almost fell over. "You didn't listen! You will _NOT_ betray us! Understand?"

"P-perfectly."

**Future Link**

"I'm off, Malon." Link called into the house, tightening his boot straps. "Fionie, take care of your Mother while I'm gone." He scratched large scar on the left side of his face.

"Yeah, Dad." A voice replied.

"Hey, don't I at least get a hug?" Link asked. There was a scuffing of chair legs, a pattering of bare feet on wood, and a little girl appeared next to Link. She had long blonde hair, petite features, deep purple eyes, wore a loose green gown, and had a surprisingly muscular build, considering she was only two and a half years old. Technically. Due to a side-effect of Malon teleporting to Mobius three years ago, while still pregnant, Fionie was growing quicker than she should. She retained the body of her technical age, but had the mind and strength of someone more than twice that. "Fionie, couldn't you at least get dressed properly?" Link sighed, exasperated.

"Why? It's not like I'm going anywhere." The tiny girl said, almost defiantly. "Not while you're out fighting bad guys, anyway. I gotta take care of Mum, so what's the point in dressing nicely?"

"Fine, fine. But, what if someone comes round? What will people think of me if I can't even clothe my own daughter properly?"

"Okay..." Fionie sighed, brushing a lock of her blonde hair aside. "I'll go change."

"Atta girl. C'mon, give me a kiss and a hug." He said, falling to one knee. Fionie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.

"Take care, Daddy. Come back alive." She whispered. She gave her Father her tiny smile, the only kind of smile she could manage.

"You take care, too." A bell rang from upstairs, making Link and Fionie look at the ceiling. "Oop, better see to your mother. I'll back in a few hours." With that, he walked out of the door, and into the small part of Hyrule that remained after Eo's takeover. A few steps out of his front door, a red-headed girl appeared in front of him with a dark flash.

"Ready to go, Link?" She asked.

"So, who's stirring trouble this time?"

"That blasted Ganondorf and his people again."

"We've always been on opposite sides." Link said with a sigh. "But, I never thought it'd be him fighting the good fight."

"Hey, c'mon." The girl moaned. "We don't have a choice here. Eo has Luigi and Malon's lives in his hand. We can't disobey."

"I know, Mitrea. I'm sorry. Let's go and stop them, then." The two walked toward Ganondorf's hideout.

"How's, uh... Fionie?" Mitrea asked as they walked.

"She's fine. Behaving like a normal six-year old girl. Except she's two and a half. And, thanks to Eo stealing her before she was born, is convinced that we're the good guys, fighting villains."

"Nothing's perfect, Link." Mitrea said supportively. "At least you've got her at all, eh?"

"Yeah. I'm grateful for that. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world."

"Is Malon getting any better?"

"No, I'm afraid not. She still can't move her legs, or her right arm."

"Fionie knows it's her fault, doesn't she?"

"NO!" Link exploded, making Mitrea wince. The two stopped walking. "It's not her fault. She didn't do it on purpose. Don't you dare blame her."

"I... I didn't mean it like... I-I'm sorry, Link..." Mitrea whimpered. Link glared at her, then sighed.

"I know, I know. Sorry, Mitrea. Yes, Fionie knows she's responsible. She hates herself for it. That's why she looks after Malon, whether I ask or not. She's trying to make up for it."

"She never will, though."

"What?" Link asked, his voice hardening.

"I mean... as far Fionie's concerned, she'll never make up for it. She won't be able to forgive herself."

"Yeah, I know that." He started walking again. "How many people has Ganondorf got with him this time?"

"A small rabble of angry villagers. In his position, you take what you get, I suppose. Lucky Nerra's not with him."

"Oh, please don't remind me of her." Link groaned. "After what happened to her, I'm not surprised Ganondorf's been so edgy."

"I know. Awful, isn't it?" Mitrea sighed. "Sometimes I feel like transforming into her for a while, to make him happy. But it'll just make things worse."

"Completely. Have you figured out a way to bring her back? Or send him there, at least?"

"Eo doesn't let me look at the Scholar's books. He doesn't trust anyone but Adia, now."

"Yeah, I guess. I can't believed she turned like that, though. She doesn't seem to be protecting anything, since Lakitu's dead, and she has no family left. She just... turned."

"Don't let it worry you, Link. Look, there they are." She pointed to the group of angry elves marching toward them. "So, what am I being today? A Dodongo? A Gohma? Ooh, how about a Wolfos?" She stared at him expectantly.

"Go for a Dinalfo." Link said with a grin. "Why the heck not?"

"Yeah, why the heck not." Mitrea giggled, then transformed into a tall, two-legged scaly green dinosaur-like beast, clutching a pair of swords.

"Don't they only have one?" Link asked. The Dinalfo shrugged, then charged at the elves with an ear-splitting roar. Link smiled and shook his head, then followed suit.

**The Seperationists**

"Is he gone?" Malon asked her daughter. The two were in Malon's bedroom.

"Yeah, Mum. He's gone."

"Good." Malon sat up and stretched her arms. "It's killing me, lying here like this all the time." She got to her feet. "When are the others getting here?"

"Any minute now." Fionie said. "I'd better go change." Fionie pattered out of the room. Moments later, Adia, Erk, Mighty, Maria and Eraf appeared in Malons' room.

"Shadow and Daisy couldn't make it." Erk announced. "They send their apologies."

"The Rebels have their own meeting." Mighty said. "So, Sonic and the guys can't make it, either."

"That's fine." Malon replied with a nod. "Could we take this downstairs?"

"Will Fionie be joining us?" Eraf asked. Malon nodded. "Good." The six walked downstairs, with a fully-dressed Fionie following a minute later.

"How's it been going?" Malon asked the assembled as they sat on the sofas in the living room.

"The Scholars' books are a little vague." Adia said. "And half the library was destroyed during that fight two and three-quarter years ago. I'm not sure if I'll be able to find anything solid. At least, not solid enough to attempt bringing Nerra back." She sighed. "I have ideas and possibilities at best."

"Better than nothing." Mighty assured her. "I haven't been able to track down Espio and Tekno. Tails is slaving away with his machine, trying to outfit it for the other worlds' strange energies."

"Vahlia's still stuck in her half-life." Erk spoke up. "We can't reach her properly. The best I've managed is a pitiful little spit of flame."

"We've been trying to locate Majora and Gaea." Maria said, speaking for herself and Eraf. "But they seem to have disappeared."

"What about you?" Eraf asked Malon.

"Link's still being forced to do Eo's work. Ganondorf's been rallying resistance armies to draw attention away from us." Malon told them. "Fionie's been working on her magic, but she still hasn't managed something near Eo's strength."

"I have been trying, though." Fionie said, sounding hurt. "It's hard, using a magic that goes against your very existance."

"Against your existance?" Adia asked. "What do you mean?"

"I'm Link and Malon's child." Fionie explained. "But Eo stole and incubated me for a while, using his dark magic. Some of that lingers inside me, as a part of me, but it shouldn't be there. It's not me, it's not who I am, it's not part of my genetic make-up. Imagine trying to use a virus that you've got like an antibody. That virus goes against your system, and your system tries to destroy it. It's tough."

"I know it is, dear." Malon said gently. "But, it means so much that you're trying."

"Thanks, Mum." Fionie gave a tiny smile. For some reason, Fionie seemed incapable of big smiles. "Daddy said he'll only be a few hours, so we should wrap things up quickly."

"Alright." Adia agreed. "But, what's the next step? I'll keep looking in the libraries, for sure. That's about all I can do right now."

"I'm kinda free until Tails gets that machine working." Mighty offered.

"I'm busy trying to bring Vahlia back." Erk said.

"Eraf's better for looking for Majora and Gaea than me." Maria said. "She has fairy magic. So, I guess that frees me up."

"I think..." Malon said thoughtfully. "Someone should go see Adia's grandma. She's the only person Eo hasn't touched yet. It makes me curious. Maria, I think you should go. Sorry, Adia, but you'll be too busy. And, Eo might suspect if you go see her."

"I know, don't worry." Adia replied.

"Something interesting happened in Mobius Side." Mighty spoke up. The others looked at him.

"Do tell." Maria urged.

"A Shadow from the past appeared." A gasp washed over everyone.

"Hey, know what this means?" Fionie said. "There's a chance to change something!"

"I'm not so sure." Erk said slowly. "I mean, what's to say we haven't already tried to change something? Maybe our attempts to change things are what made it turn this way. We have to be careful." Fionie stared at the man. Once, he had been a studious boy Mage. Always serious, and somewhat taciturn. Now, he looked more like a world-weary wreck. His face was dark, his eyes always slightly bloodshot, and dark lines under his eyes that seemed to get thicker every time she saw him. He was exhausted, in every way possible. Also, this man was the main brains in this resistance group. Even Adia bowed to his wisdom, which he didn't have three years previously. Something had happened, something that no-one but Erk knew, to make him this way. Everyone nodded solemnly.

"We should be cautious." Adia agreed. "Maybe we _did_ try something, or will, rather, and that's what creates this outcome?"

"I wish Lakitu were still alive." Maria moaned. "He'd know what to do."

"Yes, but he's not here any more. We have to do this outselves. So, what could we have said to make now happen?"

"There's only one way to find out." A hoot said from the door. A huge owl stood there.

"Kae!" Adia cried. Everyone gasped. "Any luck finding your brother?"

"He's good at hiding, is Gaea." The owl chuckled. "He'll show up when he's ready. He and Majora are probably together right now, planning a little something of their own."

"So, how do we find out, Sir Kae?" Fionie asked the owl. She always addressed others as 'Sir' or 'Miss'.

"Why, ask our Shadow. If we said anything, he should remember." Kae replied.

"I'll go!" Adia gasped, teleporting away.

"Impatient girl." Kae muttered. "Do you agree with this, Erk? Is this a good idea?"

"It's the only way to know for sure." Erk said carefully. "Adia should take care, though. Both she and Shadow are supposed to be on Eo's side. If she says too much regarding the Seperationists, then we're in trouble." Everyone nodded.

"Then, I'll go and warn her. I should be getting back anyway." Mighty declared. He teleported away.

"I guess we should get going, too." Maria said, taking Eraf's hand. "Mario's waiting for us." The two teleported. Kae hooted and disappeared. Erk, Malon and Fionie were left in the living room. Erk regarded Fionie with a serious expression. Or at least, as serious as he could get, considering his haggard face.

"Something wrong?" Fionie asked the wise mage. "Sir Erk, what's wrong?"

"I have a theory as to why using that magic is so difficult for you." He said, as slowly as ever. "I'll have to speak with Nino to confirm this, however."

"Is that a good idea? She works for Eo, after all." Malon pointed out.

"Against her will, I must add. Don't forget that Fionie technically works for Eo, too. She is partly his daughter. There will be no suspicion. In fact, with a bit of luck, we'll get an answer from the mouth of Eo himself."

"Can I at least hear the theory, Sir Erk?" Fionie asked.

"By all means. Just don't go testing it until I say so, alright?" Fionie nodded. "I believe that you are in a magically weak place. Or rather, the brand of magic you have is almost non-existant here. However, on Top Side, that style of magic is very strong."

"Erk, no!" Malon cried. "You're not seriously considering sending Fionie to Eo!"

"Not in the least, Malon." Erk said, a faint smile dawning on his lips. No-one had seen one of those on Erk for two years. "If all goes well, I will be able to personally teach Fionie how to use her magic. Magic is never a part of one's self to begin with. It takes time to make it your own. In Fionie's circumstances, this is somewhat more difficult. So, I would take Fionie to Top Side, teach her the art of magic... or at least, teach her how to make it part of her, then return her here."

"Could you convince Eo into that?"

"Of course. Most of the resistance, and the worse kind, comes from Hyrule Side, and it's neighbours Elibe and Corneria Sides. Eo would be happy to have her here."

"Alright." Malon sighed. "I'll try to smooth this with Link."

"Speaking of who." Erk said, standing with a sigh. "He should be home in a short while, correct? Perhaps Fionie should start making a meal. Good day to you." He teleported away.

"He's changed so much." Malon sighed, getting to her feet. "He was so different three years ago. Sure, he still had the serious, heavy persona, but he wasn't so... tired. Or tiring. Or depressing. And he looked healthier, too." She walked into the kitchen as she spoke. Fionie trotted behind her.

"If I can learn to use this magic, I can help the Seperationists, can't I?"

"Yes, dear, you can. But, I'd rather you stay out of this. I don't want to put you in danger."

"But, Muuum!" Fionie moaned. "I wanna help! I want me and Mummy and Daddy to be happy and together!"

"I know, my sweet." Malon patted her on the head. "But it won't stop me being concerned about you." She set about preparing carrots.

**Future Adia**

Adia appeared near Shadow's fortress, a few metres from the door. It was a rule, in Eo's army, to never teleport directly to another's room, or even within their building. Paranoia on his part, Adia assumed. As she took a step toward the fortress, Mighty appeared beside her.

"Be careful what you say. Don't mention us. At least not too much." He whispered.

"I know." Adia assured him. Mighty nodded, then teleported away again. Adia approached the huge doors, and was stopped by two guards. "How dare you!" She snapped.

"Our apologies, Ma'am, but we must be thorough. Lord Shadow would have our heads if we let anyone through at any time." One of them said meekly.

"Oh, shut up!" Adia growled. "You all know that Mitrea and Eo are the only ones who can take on another appearance, and Mitrea would never dare copy me! Now move aside before I move you!" The two guards shivered. "I'm counting." Adia said darkly, glowering at them. The guards looked at each nervously at each other. "One." She raised a finger. "When I've got a full hand, I'm blasting the door down and you with it. Two." She raised another finger.

"S-sorry, Lady Adia! Please, go right through!"

"Three. Better." Adia said as they opened the doors. She walked through, and they closed it behind her.

"Wonder what's got her back up?" One of the guards asked the other.

"No idea. She's usually so nice." The second said.

"Remember last time she got this mad?"

"Poor Lord Shadow was shaking for four days afterward." He shuddered. "We couldn't let anyone in."

--

"Shadow, so good to see you." Adia said when Shadow greeted her.

"Always a pleasure, Adia. So, what brings you here? And yelling at my guards, too." He chuckled. Adia shrugged.

"Sorry. I guess I lost it a little. I've kinda got something important to ask."

"What is it?"

"Can we go someplace more private?" Adia asked, casting her eyes around the corridor outside Shadow's study. It was full of patrolling guards.

"Alright, step inside." Shadow said, inviting her into his study. Adia nodded politely and entered. Shadow followed and closed the door. "How can I help you?"

"... your past self is here, right?" She asked, not really a question, spinning gracefully on the spot.

"Right." Shadow nodded. "I told Mighty about that."

"That's why I'm here. You remember everything that happened to you, right?"

"Yeah, clear as day."

"Did we... that is, _we_, say anything to you before you left? Y'know. Back to your own time?" She stared at him, waiting for the answer. Shadow frowned in thought for a few moments.

"Not... that I recall. I think I'd remember you, or a giant owl, or something, saying something odd. No, you didn't say a word to me. In fact, I was watching my past self go to the Rebel's hideout with Amy, and something happened to him that I don't remember."

"What was that?"

"You should know."

"Why?"

"You appeared in front of him."

"I haven't been here for two days, Shadow. This past you only showed up this morning, right?"

"Yeah. So, it wasn't you?"

"No. What did 'I' say?"

"Greetings from another time. I got just one thing to say to you all." Shadow shrugged. "Spirit Mage. You never appeared before me saying that. So, something's happened already."

"Okay, good. I'm gonna go talk to Erk about this. We might be able to say some things that can change the past. Therefore changing now."

"If you do, then won't it have happened already? After all, it's in the past. It's before us. So the changes should have happened already."

"No, Shadow. They won't change yet because we haven't caused the change yet. When the change happens, it'll seem as though it's always been that way. For all we know, something may have changed already, but we don't realise because it's always been that way to us."

"Oh, don't start with time synapses, or whatever they're called."

"Time Syntax. The correct arrangements of fragments in the lines of time." Adia told him. Shadow waved his hands in the air.

"I said don't! Please. I don't understand it."

"I would consult the sand, but Eo won't let me near the stuff. He still doesn't trust me completely. I doubt he ever will." She sighed. "Anyway. I'd better get going. Come to the next meet, won't you?"

"I'll try. The Rebels have been keeping me busy, though. But, with the old me showing up, they should take it easy for a while. I'll try to be there next time, alright?"

"Good." Adia grinned. "See you later." She waved and teleported. Shadow gave a half-wave in return.

**Majora**

Majora dragged himself, with great effort, back to the modern day. Immersing one's self in the future for too long can result in you being stuck in the dream-like state. This time, the Sand had shown him more than he had expected. Certainly more than he had bargained for. Was this truly the future that awaited? Eo in control, resistance groups against him, with people from Eo's inner circle? Lakitu dead? No, he couldn't let that happen. Already, the future was trying to change the past, so perhaps there was a chance that things could still turn out well. And maybe Lakitu would stay alive. Yes, of course that could happen. The future isn't set in stone. He leapt out of his seat, and cast him mind around for Lakitu.

_Lakitu!_ He called. _Lakitu, my darling, are you there?_

_Calm down, Majora._ Lakitu's voice answered. _You sound like I'm leaving you._

_Oh, thank the Stars._ Majora sighed. _I've just looked into the future, darling. I think you should hear about this._

_I'll be with you shortly, my love. I have a few things to sort. I'm still a little busy with the Nerra conundrum._

_No, dear, I think you should hear this _now.

_Alright, alright, I'm on my way._ A moment later, Lakitu appeared on his cloud by Majora's side.

"Good heavens, Majora." He grumbled. "I haven't seen you this worked up for a long time. What happens in the future that's so terrible that I had to abandon my deciphering?"

"Lakitu, have you ever had what's called a 'Repleted Vision'?"

"You mean, like a feature-length movie style vision?" Lakitu asked. Majora nodded. "No, can't say I have."

"I just did. Things don't look brilliant in the future."

"Care to tell me?"

"No. I recorded it all with a spell. You should jump in here and watch it." He tapped his head. "It's huge."

"Alright." Lakitu adjusted his seating position on his cloud, making himself comfortable. "There we go." He closed his eyes, and entered Majora's mind.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**Luigi**

Mitrea and Luigi sat in their shared room in Eo's hideout on Elibe. The hideout was small, with very few rooms, meaning most rooms house at least four people. The pair were talking happily until Eo's voice sounded in their minds, summoning them outside. The two instantly obeyed. Eo, as Anandia, awaited them a few feet from the front entrance.

"Yes, Sir?" Luigi asked as he and Mitrea approached.

"Luigi, Sahlan has given me very encouraging reports on your progress." Anandia said. "I believe you are ready to do some work for me."

"Thank you, Sir."

"I want you and Mitrea to attack a certain someone for me."

"Who, Sir?"

"Lakitu, a Scholar. He's the one leading this little operation to seal myself and Mitrea." Luigi's eyes narrowed at this. Although, they had become pretty narrow by themselves recently.

"You want me to kill him?"

"No, just attack. When he sees you, the brother of one his precious 'Heroes', doing my bidding, it will shake him greatly. It will affect his thinking. He will panic, and become unable to make clear decisions. That will help our campaign a great deal. I want you to just attack him, fight with him a little. When things get bad, or you think you've done enough, return here."

"Yes, Sir." Luigi nodded, his narrow eyes hardening. "What if Mario, or someone else, is there?"

"Attack them, too. No killing. Yet, anyway. Just unsettle them." Anandia stared Luigi in the eyes. "Don't show your brother mercy. Remember, he is our enemy. Unless he joins us, he is a danger. I know it will be tough, Luigi. But, for the sake of the worlds-"

"I know, Sir. I won't let sympathy get in the way of the greater good."

"Good. Tell me when you're ready, and I'll send you to his current location."

"I'll get Agnia." Luigi turned and walked back into the hideout. He returned almost immediately. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure, Luigi?" Anandia asked. "If you need time-"

"I'm ready." Luigi snapped. "Sir."

"Very well." Anandia held a hand out, palm facing the two. A dark flash emanated from the hand, and Luigi and Mitrea disappeared.

--

Luigi and Mitrea appeared in a city

"Recognise this place?" Luigi asked Mitrea, gripping Agnia.

"Not really." Mitrea replied, looking around. "Oh, wait. Creature." She stared at it. "Looks like we're on Mobius."

"Lakitu's somewhere in this city, then." Luigi said. "Guess we'll have to-" He stopped. "Oh, God." He gasped.

"What? What is it?" Mitrea followed his gaze.

"Luigi?!" A voice cried. A man wearing black jeans, boots and a long black leather coat jogged over to them. "Hey, how's it going? I never got the chance to apologise for last time we met. We really got off on the wrong foot, you know? I mean, you attacking me, me giving you lip. So, yeah. I'm sorry about that. What brings you here?"

"Who are you? Luigi, who is this?" Mitrea stared at the stranger.

"This is... Link." Luigi told her. "He's... a sort of friend of my brother."

"So, he's..." Mitrea lowered her voice, and whispered in Luigi's ear. "With Lakitu?"

"I think so." Luigi replied. "Link, where's Lakitu? I need to talk to him."

"Lakitu?" Link asked. "He's not here, as far as I know. Unless he showed up while I was at the shop. I went to buy some painkillers for Malon." He held up, and rattled, a small pill bottle.

"Who?"

"Never mind. C'mon, I'll take you to him."

"No need for that, Link." A warm voice said from behind him.

"We're already here." A sweet voice added. Link turned, and Luigi and Mitrea looked around him. Lakitu and Adia stood there. "Hi, Bro." Adia said to Link, waving. Link waved back.

"Lakitu, Luigi says he-"

"Wants to talk. Yes." Lakitu floated over to Luigi. "He says, anyway. No-one goes looking for someone, clutching a shiny new spear, and just wants a chat. Do they, Luigi?" He glared at the green-clad plumber. It had the same effect on him as everyone else. Luigi started to tremble. "You're doing Eo's work now, are you?"

"Yes." Luigi managed to keep his voice level. "I'm here to fight you, Lakitu."

"Awesome." Adia said. Everyone stared at her. "What?" She shrugged. "It is."

"I guess so." Link agreed. "We're gonna stand over here, Lakitu." He and Adia walked to the other side of the street. "Best of luck." He called.

"Traitors!" Lakitu cried, grinning. He snapped his head back to Luigi. "Is he forcing you? Because if he is-"

"I'm doing this because I want to." Luigi interrupted. "Because I have to. I'm the only one who can protect Mitrea from you cold-hearted Scholars."

"Oh, dear." Lakitu sighed. "I really _am_ getting too old for this."

"And, you're stopping Eo from doing what's right." He lifted Agnia. "Let's fight, Lakitu."

"Are you going to fight too, Mitrea?" Lakitu asked the shapeshifter.

"No." Mitrea growled. "I'm going to fight _her_." She pointed at Adia.

"Best of luck, then."

"Shut up!" With a roar, Mitrea transformed into a bull-like creature with seven horns, all pointing forwards. She charged at Adia, who yelped with surprise, then leapt aside. Mitrea slammed headlong into a building, knocking down the wall. Dust and debris flew in all directions. A mere moment later, a giant imp-like creature, with horns, fangs and claws, shot out of the dust-cloud. Meanwhile, Luigi was stabbing his lance at Lakitu, who deflected the blows with a lazy spurt of magic.

"Luigi, give it up." He sighed. "You can't beat me, regardless of my age." Luigi responded by stabbing more furiously.

"Luigi, let's go!" Mitrea called. She was currently in the form of a blue wolf. She disappeared in a dark flash. Luigi stabbed at Lakitu one more time, with as much force as he could, then disappeared in the same manner.

--

"He's strong." Luigi said with a sigh.

"Very. So's Adia." Mitrea patted him on the back. "But, well done. You've done your first mission, and didn't fail."

"Yes, well done." Anandia said, approaching the pair. "You did excellently there, Luigi. Telling him that you joined me freely will surely frighten Lakitu all the more. And it is lucky that Adia showed, and Mitrea attacked her. It will further shake up the enemy's actions. You did excellently. You may go inside, and rest."

"Thank you, Sir." Luigi nodded, heading inside. Mitrea followed him. The two walked into Luigi's room, and sat on his bed.

"You really did do well, Luigi." Mitrea told him. "Last time someone I saw someone fight Lakitu, they ran away screaming with just one glare." She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulders. "You were so brave, standing up to him like that. He's really scary when he glares."

"You got that right." Luigi chuckled. "I almost ran away myself. But then, I remembered that I'm supposed to be protecting you. I couldn't run."

"Aww... thank you, Luigi." Mitrea blushed. "You're so wonderful to me."

"Hey, I'm the only guy you can trust, right? I mean, you can trust Eo too, of course, but..."

"I know what you mean. You're the only mortal I can trust. The only _normal_ person." She looked up at him, and smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem." Luigi smiled down at her. Mitrea stared at him for a moment, then straightened her back, moving her face closer to his. Luigi leaned closer to her. Mitrea closed her eyes, and reached a hand up for Luigi's cheek. Luigi smiled a small smile, and cupped her face in his hands. He closed his own eyes, and pressed his lips against hers.

"Luigi!" Anandia's voice called, startling the pair. "There's someone here who I think you should see."

"I'll... be right back." Luigi said, somewhat distractedly. He stood up. "Coming, Sir!" He called.

**Daisy**

Daisy had left Castle Reglais some days ago. No-one seemed to have noticed she was missing. After all, they were all obsessing over Nino, Mario, Maria, and Link. So, she slipped out, and started trekking across the plains. Her destination was Eo's hideout. She reminded herself again, as she had done countless time since she'd set off, why she was doing this. When she and the others retreated to the castle while Mario and Link had fought, Daisy had seen a third figure nearby. A very familiar figure. More than just familiar, in fact. Daisy _knew_ the person. After all, how could you _not_ know the man you'd been in a relationship with for several years? Daisy knew that she had seen Luigi stood near Link. Link had apparently joined Eo, according to Mario. If Luigi was stood with Link, then it seemed to Daisy that Luigi was with Eo, too. Daisy had to to find out. She approached Eo's hideout, and was greeted by a giant snarling beast that she had never seen in her life. It had the same body shape as a dog, but the head of a cat, fangs the size of Bowser's shell spikes, and claws as long as her arms. Daisy took a step back, preparing a fire spell.

"Down, Pegrie!" A voice snapped. The creature whined, looked behind it, then slinked away from Daisy. A woman in a black cloak approached. "Your highness of Sarasa Land, Princess Daisy, Myst, Ella, Legion, what brings you out here?"

"Are you Eo?" Daisy asked.

"Indeed I am. But, in this body, call me Anandia."

"So you _were_ behind the attack on Castle Reglais."

"That's right. I wanted to gauge the strength of my enemy. So, what brings you to to my hideout? In fact, how did you find it?"

"Someone showed me." Daisy replied cryptically. "Is Luigi here?"

"Ah, of course!" Anandia gasped happily. "Yes, yes. Your lover, isn't he?"

"Is he here?"

"He is."

"I knew it. I saw him, when Link attacked Mario."

"Yes, and?" Anandia smiled.

"I... I want my boyfriend back."

"You do, huh?"

"Yes. I want him back. Now."

"Why would I do that?"

"You took Luigi." She said accusingly. "Give him back."

"I did not take him, Legion. He came to me willingly."

"Liar! Give him back!"

"Why not go to him? Come with me, and be with your precious Luigi again."

"Join you? No!"

"You will leave Luigi behind? You will place yourself as his enemy?"

"What? No... I... alright."

"Good." Anandia grinned. "Come with me, Legion." She stared walking toward the hideout. Daisy followed.

"Why are you calling me Legion?" Daisy asked.

"Because you are one who is many." Anandia chuckled. "You are..." She cleared her throat. "Daisy, the princess of Sarasa Land, Daisy the woman, Daisy Luigi's girl, Myst, Ella, and... someone who has gone missing from you."

"So... why Legion?"

"Never mind. It is a title given to you by the worlds themselves. Any being of great power will name you by it." The two arrived. "Wait here, and I'll bring Luigi to you." She walked to the door. "Luigi! There's someone here who I think you should see."

"Coming, Sir!" Luigi's voice called. Anandia walked back to Daisy. A moment later, Luigi stepped out of the building. He took three steps forward, then froze, staring at Daisy. "No... way..." He gasped.

"H... hi, Luigi." Daisy said, raising her hand in an almost-wave. "I... came here for you. To... t-to be with you. I... missed you."

"Daisy..." Luigi walked forward again. He took slow steps, never once taking his eyes from Daisy. "It's... is it really you?"

"It is, Luigi." Daisy started walking to him. "I came here because I saw you with Link. I had to find out for sure. Why are you with Eo?"

"I understand his side now, Daisy. Lakitu lied to us all."

"Forget about him for now." Daisy shook her head. The two reached each other, and fell into a firm hug. "I'm just glad to be with you again."

"Me, too." Luigi sighed happily.

"Who's this?" Another voice sounded. Luigi and Daisy looked. "Why are you...? Luigi, what's going on?"

"Um, Mitrea... this is... Daisy." Luigi suddenly sounded nervous. "She's my..."

"Girlfriend." Mitrea said. "Right. You never told me you had a girlfriend."

"It... never came up." Luigi said meekly.

"But, you still flirted with me?"

"I never flirted!" Luigi denied. "I was being nice, but I never flirted."

"What was all that 'only I can protect you' crap, then? That's something you say when you're into a girl." Mitrea huffed. "And you kissed me not two minutes ago!"

"Luigi!" Daisy gasped. "Tell me you didn't!"

"I don't wanna lie to you." Luigi told her. He looked at Mitrea again. "Mitrea, that was... I dunno. I was missing Daisy, and you're kinda like her... my mind was a mess, okay? I was all... I mean, I'd done something for Eo, which made me happy, but I'd fought Lakitu, who I sorta trusted until recently, and Link was there, who I had a fight with when we met, because I thought he was bad, then he was good, but now he's bad... and you, being all... I-I dunno!" He threw his hands in the air. "I got confused, okay?"

"No, it's not." Mitrea sighed. "You should've told me."

"I'm sorry." Luigi groaned. "I really am. And, when I said that I was the only one who could protect you? That's because no-one else would. I was _literally_ the only who could protect you. I didn't know you'd take it that way."

"It's fine, Luigi. I forgive you. We can still be friends." Mitrea smiled.

"Thank you." Luigi sighed in relief.

"Wait, you _kissed_ her?!" Daisy gasped, staring at Luigi. "You... I-I... what about me? Did you-?" She stopped, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she didn't seem to be Daisy any more. She seemed different, somehow.

"You're a lip-lock and a tongue-knot from cheating." Myst said.

"What?" Luigi asked.

"You kissed someone who isn't your girlfriend. Don't worry, I get it. You were lonely, confused, mind-rushed, and Mitrea here reminds you of Daisy. I get it, really I do. Daisy don't, though. So, I'm gonna stay out here until she calms down."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Myst, an identity that Daisy acquired when she arrived in Elibe. It's a long story. Perhaps we should go inside, and I'll tell you all about it."

**Adia**

Adia was using a restoration spell to repair the damaged wall.

"This is bad." Lakitu sighed, watching. Link nodded. "Luigi's been trained well."

"You put Sahlan there, Master." Adia told him. "Remember?"

"Yes, yes, I remember." Lakitu sighed again. "This is very bad. I think I'll have to tell Daisy. Maybe I can get her to convince him to come back to us."

"If Eo sweet-talked Luigi, then he can probably do the same to Daisy." Link said. "She's quite impressionable."

"What makes you say that?"

"When I was stuck in the Mushroom Kingdom, I had to go see her, remember? You told me to go there."

"Oh, yeah!" Lakitu said, happily. "Ah, memories."

"Yeah, well. I only said that I wasn't a minion of Bowsers. Only once, and she believed me straight away. One mention of you got me in her castle, and her room. Like I said, impressionable. I could've said anything to her. Hell, I could've told her that I _was_ Luigi, and some weird spell had changed my body, and she would've bought it. Eo could win her over easily." Lakitu was frowning throughout Link's little speech.

"You have a point." He agreed. "I should get back to Castle Reglais right now." He disappeared.

"Poor Master." Adia sighed, her spell complete. She walked over to Link, and rested her head against his chest, which she only just reached. "It's been so hard for him."

"I know." Link sighed, putting a hand on her head.

"So, why are you making it harder?"

"What d'you mean?"

"You know what I mean. You won't talk to him any more. Neither will Malon or Ganondorf. Nerra only just speaks to him. Something's bothering you, but you won't tell me or Master what it is."

"You should know what it is. You two seem to know everything. I really don't wanna talk about it, anyway. It's... quite a shock to me."

"But... we might need to know."

"I'll tell you when I'm ready. You probably know already. Even if you don't, you'll know by the time I tell you. So, forget it."

"Fine." Adia sighed. "I'm gonna go back to the University. See you later, Bro." She disappeared.

"Bye, Adia."

**Lakitu**

"Pent, Pent, where's Daisy?" Lakitu asked as he appeared in Pent's room. "Where- Oh, my. Excuse me." He blushed, and teleported to outside the room. "I'm so sorry!" He called through the door.

"It's fine." Pent's voice replied, though it sounded annoyed. "I'll just be a minute."

"Can't he wait?" Louise's voice asked.

"It sounded urgent. I'd better see him."

"Hurry back." Louise moaned. Pent walked outside, and closed the door behind him.

"This better be good."

"I just need to find Daisy." Lakitu told him.

"She should be in her room. West wing, third corridor, fourth on the right."

"Right, thanks." Lakitu disappeared. Pent sighed, and walked back into his room.

-

"Daisy!" Lakitu called as he entered the room. She wasn't there. Lakitu sighed. He was about to leave and look around the castle, when he spotted a note on her table. He picked it up, and read.

'Gone to see Eo. Vahlia showed me his hideout. I saw Luigi with Link, when he came to fight. I need to know for sure if Luigi is with Eo. Signed, Daisy'.

"Dammit!" Lakitu screeched, and teleported again.

-

"Pent, emergency!" Lakitu screamed, appearing in Pent's room. "Something bad has-" He paused. "CAN'T YOU TWO KEEP OFF EACH OTHER FOR MORE THAN A DAY?!" He howled. "Existence itself is in peril, but you two can't keep yourselves to yourselves, can you?"

"Speak for yourself." Pent tutted. "You and Majora are at it almost hourly."

"Th-that's different." Lakitu blushed. "I'll be waiting outside. We have an emergency." He teleported. Pent sighed.

"I'm sorry, darling." He said to Louise, who was laid beneath him.

"It's okay. If Lakitu says it's an emergency, then it is. Go see him." She told him. Pent got out of their bed, quickly pulled on his clothes, and walked outside.

"What _now_?" He asked.

"Don't take that tone with me." Lakitu growled. "Daisy is gone."

"Gone?"

"Here." Lakitu shoved the note in his face. "Read." Pent did so, and his face fell. "See?"

"Maria!" Pent called, dashing down the corridor. "Mario, Erk, Nino!"

"He can really move if he wants to." Lakitu sighed, then followed.

**Eo**

_Are they ready?_ The Elibe half asked the Mobius half.

_Yes. _The Mobius half replied. _It took time, but I've made them. They're perfect._

_It is lucky that we remembered Link and Maria so well. Well enough to make clones, at least._

_Yes, incredibly so._ The Mobius Eo looked at the two figures stood beside him. They looked like Maria and Link, except with darker skin. Shadow Clones. _And, I'm so close to snatching the child from Link's partner. I will be able to use the Quezacotl to incubate it, and make it into a warrior for our new world._

_Excellent. Send me the Maria clone. I'll send it to Maria herself tomorrow morning._

_Very well. _The Maria clone disappeared. _I'll send Link his clone at the same time._

_Good. After that, focus on the baby. I don't care whether it's male or female, just get it and alter it as required. _

_Yes. Not only will it obey our every command, and be strong enough to repel all resistance, it'll destroy Link and Malon mentally, rendering them incapable to fight._

_In theory, yes. _The Elibe Eo sighed. _Regardless, take the child. I'll talk to you again some other time._ He cut the connection, and focussed his attention on the Maria clone. So much he could do to this clone, as revenge for what the real Maria did to him. However, it had a much better use.

"Clone, wake up." Eo said. The clone looked at him. "At first light, I want you to march to the nearby castle, and kill the one who looks like you. Understand?" The clone nodded. "Good." Eo grinned, then returned to the shaman's body.

"Such a shame," Anandia sighed. "That I have to leave this body to talk to my other half. Well, nothing's perfect." She walked toward her room in the hideout.

**Sahlan**

While Eo was talking with his other half, Sahlan was talking to Daisy. Eo was completely unaware of what was occuring around him while locked in conversation with his other half. War could break out around him, and he wouldn't realise until the connection had been terminated. Sahlan used this time, and times when Eo was away, to talk to whoever he had to talk to. In fact, he was talking to Lakitu and Daisy at the same; Lakitu in his mind, Daisy by mouth.

"You understand? Eo _is_ the evil one, and Lakitu is the good one. Lakitu has lied, and is using Link and Mario, but only because he's had to. Only Link and Mario can defeat Eo. Lakitu doesn't do anything unless he's sure there's no other way. And Eo just does anything he pleases. He manipulated Luigi, and you." He was telling Daisy.

"I know, Sahlan." Daisy assured him. "I'll try to convince Luigi to leave. And Mitrea, too. I don't like her, but the less people Eo has, the better."

"Good. But be careful. If Eo catches wind of anything, he'll kill us on the spot."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Daisy walked away.

"I hope so." Sahlan sighed. Meanwhile, in his mental conversation with Lakitu:

-

_Boss, Daisy's with Eo._ Sahlan was telling him.

_I know. She left a note. So, she knows that Luigi is with Eo?_

_Yeah. I've just convinced her to try and talk him out of it. It'll be tough, though. Eo really did a number on Luigi. Went the whole distance, from what I hear._

_Whole distance? Like, promise of power, of being able to protect all that's dear?_

_Yup._

_Playing on his insecurities, sympathising with him?_

_You got it._

_And saying he felt the same? _

_The whole distance, boss. Luigi didn't stand a chance._

_No, he wouldn't have._ Lakitu sighed. _Well, do what you can. They'd be a great help to us._

_I'll do what I can boss. See you again later._

_Bye, Sahlan. Take care._

_You too._

-

Sahlan sighed, and looked over the plains, toward Castle Reglais. Lakitu had been so odd lately. Even the conversation he'd just had showed this. Lakitu had never needed to confirm what 'the whole distance' meant before. This time, he had. Asking him to 'do what he can' was different, as Lakitu usually asked him to 'get it done, and quick'. Sahlan was worried. His boss was different, and it scared him. What had happened to Lakitu to change him like this? Sahlan desperately wanted to get a hold of Majora, or even Gaea, to ask, but Eo was back in Anandia's body now, so he'd know.

"This is tough." Sahlan sighed.

"What is?" Anandia asked, appearing next to him.

"Teaching Luigi. Scouting around for fresh recruits. It's hard to convince people to join someone who they're sure is evil. I'm a warrior, Anandia. My whole life is built on honour and truth. So, it's difficult for me to twist and manipulate perfectly good young men, regardless of how true my message is."

"I understand, Sahlan." Ananda clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you should take a break. Relax a little. I need you, Sahlan. I need your help. So, take some time to yourself. You can... go visit friends, or relatives. As long as you're back in two or three days, I don't mind."

"Thank you, Anandia. But, I think I'd rather stay here. I still have to teach Luigi how to handle his spear. There is no twisting and manipulating there, except in honourable combat, where such acts are required, and allowed." He smiled a weary smile.

"Very well, Sahlan. Take care of yourself." Anandia disappeared in dark flash. Sahlan recognised that she had teleported far away, and instantly called Majora to inquire about Lakitu.

--

Later that day, Sahlan stood with Luigi. They were preparing for another lancing lesson. Daisy stood a distance away from them, having fist-fighting lessons with another teacher. Sahlan and Luigi locked spears, going through a new routine, different to the previous one. Several times in the routine, Sahlan and Luigi's faces came with inches of each other. Sahlan used these moments to whisper 'Eo is lying'. Every time, Luigi stopped fighting and asked if Sahlan had spoken. He denied it. After a while, Luigi didn't react to Sahlan's whispers, except to frown in confusion. By the end of the session, Luigi appeared to be having some serious doubts about Eo.

"Jeez... so gullible and easy to manipulate." Sahlan sighed.

"What makes you say that?" Anandia appeared by his side again.

"He's an excellent lancer, Anandia. But, it's so easy to lead him into a different stance, or position. Any half-decent lance-user will walk all over him because he can't see through tricks. He believes what he sees instantly, and refuses to think otherwise." This was all perfectly true. "I've always said that a persons' lancing skills reflects their true nature. So, I'm guessing Luigi's gullible."

"He is." Anandia agreed with a chuckle. "Very."

"Well, as long as Daisy and Mitrea are here, he's not going anywhere, right?"

"Exactly. Why d'you think I keep Daisy? Besides for messing up Lakitu more." She chuckled again. "Oh, it's all going so badly for him. I just wish I could watch as it all falls apart." She sighed wistfully. "Unfortunately, I have work to do. Sorry to keep appearing like this, and question everything you say, Sahlan. It's just that I'm getting closer to my goal, and I can't afford to have traitors."

"Why would I betray the one who's going to unite the worlds and eliminate war?" Sahlan asked.

"Of course. Forgive me. I'm just paranoid." She walked away.

"He has manners now." Sahlan mumbled.

_He always gets them when his plan's coming to fruition._ A voice whispered. Sahlan nodded.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Maria**

Mario stared at Pent, stunned. He, along with the others, sat in the dining hall. Lakitu was with them.

"Gone?" He asked. "Daisy's gone? Joined Eo?"

"It can't be." Eraf whispered.

"Why would she do that?" Maria asked.

"Luigi's with him." Lakitu said. "Eo tricked Luigi into joining him."

"So it _was_ Luigi I saw..." Mario muttered.

"What's that?"

"Oh, when Link fought me. I saw Luigi nearby." Mario replied, still thinking. "I can't believe it... my own brother. And his girlfriend. This isn't supposed to happen. Luigi's a hero, he's supposed to be on my side."

"Well, he isn't any more." Erk said. "He's gone. Thing is, how do we get him back?"

"He won't leave Eo unless Daisy does." Mario told them. "Or unless he can be sure Daisy is safe. It's exactly the same for Daisy, too." He sighed. "So, we'll have to either kidnap one of them, or convince them to leave Eo."

"I'm working on it." Lakitu assured the plumber. "I've got a man on the inside, who's working on bringing Luigi and Daisy back to our side."

"Good. Thank you." Mario sighed, and sat back in his chair. Then, outside, a voice called.

"Bring Maria to me!" It was female. "I would fight with her, right now!"

"Someone's challenging me." Maria mused, getting to her feet. "I'll see who it is."

"Be careful." Mario said as she left. She nodded, and walked to the door.

-

"Who challenges-" Maria stopped when she saw her challenger. "Me?"

"I challenge you, one who has my face." The challenger looked exactly like Maria, except with darker skin. She drew her sword, and pointed it at Maria.

"What is your name?" Maria asked, drawing her own sword.

"I am... Marina." The girl said.

"I am Maria." Maria replied. "Are we really going to fight?"

"Yes!" Marina snapped, leaping at Maria. Maria rolled forward, beneath Marina, then span to her feet. Marina landed where Maria had been stood, and Maria was stood in Marina's place. Marina turned around, and quickly ducked as a foot flew at her. Maria span until she was facing the other way, planted her foot on the ground, then smashed her other foot behind her. Marina only just managed to roll back and evade. She quickly scrabbled to her feet, and charged at Maria. She swung her sword vertically down at Maria's head, who blocked, and kicked her back. Marina came again, swing horizontally. Maria parried this blow, then punched Marina in the face. Maria frowned. This girl seemed to be a clone of her. She fought exactly as Maria used to fight. As she thought that, Marina lunged at her with a stab. Maria leaned slightly, the blade skimming her hoody, then whacked Marina on the head with the butt of her sword handle. Marina staggered back, growling. With a roar, Marina charged yet again, screaming that she would kill Maria. Maria lazily flicked the sword away, then flipped Marina over her shoulder, sending the girl rolling across the ground. Marina leapt to her feet again. She definitely had Maria's stamina, though she lacked Maria's skill. Seemingly oblivious to this, Marina dashed to Maria again, swinging her sword. Maria blocked this, then received a heel to the side as Marina twisted her body and kicked. Maria flew a few feet to the side. When she landed, she rolled herself over and onto her feet. Marina was already in front of her, foot rocketing upwards and into her chin. Maria stumbled backwards. She quickly brought her sword up to deflect the incoming blow from Marina, kicked the incoming foot, then pushed Marina backwards. Maria, knowing that she was physically stronger than this clone, as she had worked out alot, pushed Marina further backwards, gaining speed. Faster she pushed, until Marina was almost running backwards. Marina suddenly tripped, and Maria stomped hard on her stomach, then her face. Marina roared and quickly stood. She howled and charged yet again. Maria sighed. Didn't this girl get it? She couldn't win. Maria idly knocked the sword to one side, span on the spot, the kicked Marina, who had run a couple of steps past her, in the back of the neck, knocking her to the floor. Marina growled, but didn't move. Maria had paralysed her. Maria kicked the limp girl over, rolling her on to her back, then sat on her chest.

"Mind telling me why you wanted to fight me?" She asked politely. Marina hissed at her. "No?"

"I was ordered to." Marina spat angrily.

"By who?"

"I don't know who he is. I don't know why I listened. But, I had to. Anyway, what does it matter? You've won. Now, kill me."

"Why would I kill you?"

"If you don't, I won't be able to stop attacking you. I know I'm no match, but I couldn't stop myself. It's like something else was moving me. I don't want to keep attacking my original."

"Wait, you're a clone of me?"

"Yes. A dark creature made me, and gave me your abilities. Or rather, your _old_ abilities. You've advanced greatly since then. Now, kill me!"

"I... I can't. It's not fair."

"Kill me! Please! I don't wa-" Marina's words were cut short by a sword sinking into her skull. Maria looked up, and saw Link.

"Link! Why are you here?"

"This thing failed." He replied, removing his sword. He swiped it vertically, with alot of force, to shake the blood off. "So, I killed it."

"But, that wasn't fair! Link, what happened to you? I thought you were a nice guy. You had honour, compassion. You'd never just _kill_ something because it didn't do as well as it could have. Marina had my old abilities, Link. We've got better since then."

"Whatever." He sheathed his sword. "It still failed. So, Maria. Will you join Eo? Build a better world?"

"Of course not." Maria snorted. "Eo isn't building a better world. He's lying to you."

"Like Lakitu's been lying to you? Just think about that, Maria." Link disappeared in a dark flash. Maria sighed, and got to her feet. Mario was stood nearby.

"What happened?" He asked. Maria wasn't sure what to tell him, or even where to begin.

**Erk**

Erk wandered the castle grounds, trying to make sense of what was happening. The other Hero, Link, had joined Eo. Mario's brother Luigi had joined him, too. Even his precious Ella. Daisy, he corrected himself. Nino had been shunted back and forth in time, to change things, and got scarred as a result. His mentor, Lord Pent, had been oddly distant lately, rarely appearing in the castle. His other mentor, Lakitu, had been spaced-out and easily distracted. Even Adia, who he only knew from the brief meetings with her, had changed. Hers was the most significant, somehow. In the first meeting, she was shy and withdrawn. Gradually, she gained a brilliant shining confidence. Now, she was withdrawn again, though not as much as before, and often affected Lakitu's mannerisms. She even had a 'trademarked voice', that indicated her presence. A very sweet voice, that turned the heads of all who heard it. Erk shook his head, grunting. This was no time to be looking at other girls. He and Nino were engaged now, and he had to focus on her. Keeping her happy, safe. He looked out to the horizon, beyond which laid Eo's hideout. Erk wanted nothing more than to storm in there now, slaughter Eo and his followers, and live happily with Nino. With a sigh, Erk pushed the thought from his mind. It was suicide. Eo was immortal, and Erk was no match. Only the two Heroes could stand against him and live. Erk found himself wishing _he_ was the Hero. He knew that he would never betray Nino, and go over to Eo. Erk pinched his arm, telling himself to stop wishing for things like that. Concentrate on what you can do _now_, he reminded himself. So, Erk turned to walk back inside, mentally preparing the next magic lesson for Mario and Maria. When he had turned, he wasn't facing the castle, as he should have been. Instead, he was facing a beautiful young woman, with a pretty flower field stretching beyond her.

"Sweet Elimine..." Erk gasped.

"Yes, it is I." The woman said. Erk gasped again, and fell to his knees.

"Blessed Elimine, praise be your graces..." He spoke the beginning of the Elimine prayer.

"No need, Erk. To your feet."

"Yes, My Lady." Erk obeyed. "To what do I owe this incredible honour?"

"To you." Elimine smiled, an amazing smile. "And to Eo. The worlds move in new ways, including my own; the Spirit World. As such, I feel I should do something to help."

"Anything you offer will be gratefully received."

"Then, I offer you knowledge surpassing the Cloud-Riders'. Are you prepared to accept this?"

"If it can help the struggle, and if it is a gift from you, I will accept it happily."

"I advise you caution. Knowledge can be deadly. Some of what you will learn will be painful, saddening, and even maddening. It may drive you insane."

"For the good of the worlds, and the safety of my beloved, I accept your gift."

"You are most brave, young Erk. My loyal disciple. Heed my warning carefully, though. Do not be afraid of seeking the help of others, should the knowledge twist your mind."

"I am forewarned. Please, My Lady. Bestow upon me this gift. Let me help my friends."

"Then, the gift is bestowed." Elimine looked a little sad. "Keep sight of your self and your goals, young Erk. Do not lose them to the wisdom you now have."

"I have the knowledge? But I don't feel sma-" He stopped speaking as the new wisdom made itself known in his mind. Such horror, he now knew. Pleasure, happiness, pain, death, sadness... all this knowledge... it was too much, and threatened to tear his head apart. "M-my Lady!" He gasped. "This... th-the pain! Help me..."

"I can do no more." Elimine said sadly. "I truly wish I could, but already I am drawn back to my world. Seek the help of your beloved, of your mentors. Don't lose who you are." She started to fade.

"My Lady! Blessed Saint Elimine! Please! Please..." She was gone, and Castle Reglais reappeared. "please..." Erk whispered, then slumped to the ground. He was barely aware of Nino and Lakitu running to him, asking if he was okay. Erk had no answer. What could he say? 'I'm not hurt, but my mind is exploding with knowledge and wisdom'? No, they would think him mad. Next thing Erk knew, he found himself being carried on Lord Pent's back to the infirmary. He could hardly recognise anything of what was happening. His mind was filled to bursting point with knowledge, smothering all other awareness. He vaguely recognised the soft infirmary bed.

_Leave me alone..._ He pleaded. _Let my mind reconcile._ He knew how to calm his mind, how to lock away the knowledge until he needed it again, but it was difficult. The knowledge swamped him, engulfing his every sense and coherent thought. He set about putting the smaller pieces behind doors, in chests and boxes. There were many small pieces, and as a result it was quite a chore. Suddenly, a huge door slammed over the knowledge, and a voice screeched in his head.

"_ERKY!!_" Nino! Erk quickly gathered his wits, and looked to his side. Nino was next to him, tears spilling.

"Shush, my heart." He said softly. "I am fine."

"Erky..." Nino sobbed. "Wh-what happened? You were stood real still, mumbling something, then you collapsed. I thought... m-maybe Eo was in your h-head, or..."

"Sshh..." Erk pressed a hand against her cheek. "It's alright. I'm fine."

"What happened, Erky?"

"I can't tell you." He sighed. "It's... strange, and unbelievable. Just let me rest, Spirit Mage." He closed his eyes.

"I'm staying with you." Nino declared, climbing into the bed. "I'm not leaving."

"Okay..." Erk breathed, sleep claiming him. "As long you're here when I awake."

"I will be." She whispered.

--

Nino was indeed still there when Erk awoke. She was laying on her side, a sad and worried smile on her face.

"Hey." Erk said in greeting.

"Hi." She replied softly. "Feeling better?"

"Much." Erk nodded, sitting up. "I think I should speak with Lakitu. We have much to discuss."

"Alright. He's here now, worrying about you."

"Send him to my room, please." Erk stood up and stretched. "We would speak in private."

"Erky, you seem different. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I assure you I'm fine. Different, yes. Okay, yes. I'm still me, if that's what worries you. I still love you, and I still want to help Mario and Maria in any way I can."

"If... you say so." Nino slowly walked out of the room.

"Nerra..." Erk sighed. "The Lost One, the Exiled One. That's surprising." He knew something of Nerra, that no-one else knew. Not even Lakitu. He smiled. "I wonder what'll happen when she is reunited?"

**Fionie**

Daisy stood facing Malon. Malon was smiling softly, Fionie beside her.

"Night-Winged Princess." Malon murmured, referring to Daisy. Indeed, Daisy now had night-black wings and hair. "It's been a long time."

"It hasn't been any time." Daisy told her. "Time has changed."

"It has? How? How can you tell?"

"Easy." Fionie said. "Teacher is her true self now, and has huge power and wisdom. She knows what has happened to change."

"I do." Daisy nodded. "The past has changed the future, but only minutely. It can only be changed minutely, when it regards Eo, unless Eo himself is altered, or his situation is. Last time the you, the leader of the seperationists, saw me, I was merely Daisy, and Night-Winged Nerra had been banished to an abyss. Now, we are one again."

"That's right. But..." Fionie frowned. "I thought you decided...?"

"No, Fionie. That is a different time. That is a different destiny. You must learn to differentiate between our timeline and others."

"Yes, Teacher." Fionie nodded. "Can you teach me?"

"Of course." Daisy nodded, and her wings and hair changed. They retained the night-black colour, with specks of white, much like a starry sky.

"Star Wing." Malon sighed. "Please don't talk about times and things with me. As far as I'm concerned, it's always been like this. Don't confuse me more than necessary."

"My apologies. You should return to bed, Malon. Link will be home shortly."

"Daddy's a few minutes away. Hurry, Mum." Fionie pushed her mother toward the stairs. "Go, go."

"Fionie!" Daisy gasped.

"Y-yes?"

"You... no, no matter. It is unavoidable."

"Daddy!" Fionie shrieked as the door creaked. She pattered, for she refused footwear in the house, to the door.

--

"Fionie, it is time." Daisy sighed.

"Time for what?" Fionie asked, smoothing down her loose green gown, which she almost always wore in the house.

"For you to... fulfill your new destiny."

"What new destiny?"

"Let us learn." Daisy, Star-Wing, said. "Learn how to seperate visions and echoes. Close your eyes." Fionie did so. "See the Lines." Fionie saw them. "The one that glows, or wavers, or stands out in any way, is our Line. Note how the Lines cross and fuse at points." Fionie noticed. "This is because time itself is a constant twisting and twining of different events, and purposes. If one was to follow the Lines back to the beginning, you would see a huge sphere, as big as any world orb. Then it splits into countless lines. These Lines then cross over each other, often over several other lines. Time changes. See now, a Line has shifted." A Line had. It crossed over to other Lines, then went straight. Now it was wavy, and crossed over seven, then fused into an eighth. "Fionie, I would advise against this, but it seems inevitable."

"I wanna touch the Line!" Fionie gasped. "I know it's dangerous, but... I can't stop myself." Fionie, in her bedroom, reached out a hand and closed it into a fist, grapsing empty air. Fionie, in her mind, reached out a hand, and closed it into a fist, grasping a Line.

"I will see you again, Fionie. Take care of yourself."

"What?!" Fionie cried. "What do y-" Then she was gone.

--

"-ou mean?" Fionie finished her question. She opened her eyes. She was not in her room. "Teacher!" She called. "Teacher, what's going on? Teacher?"

"I'm the only teacher here." A voice said. "And I'm not yours."

"Who are you?" Fionie asked, looking at the stranger.

"My name is Bowser." The giant turtle said. "I am a Scholar, a translator of Koopan and Avian languages. Who are you, little one?"

"Bowser?!" Fionie asked. "No, you can't be! You... you were killed by Eo! In the Great Library Battle! You were crushed by seventeen huge bookshelves, then blown apart!"

"I think you're a little disorientated and confused." Bowser said gently. "Come with me, and I'll get you something to eat." He held a giant clawed hand out to her. Fionie placed her tiny hand in it, and walked with the Koopa King. "So, where did you come from, little one?"

"Hyrule Side."

"Hyrule? Do you know someone called Link?"

"Yeah, he's my Daddy."

"He's your... what?" Bowser stopped. "Your father?!"

"Yeah."

"How?? I never heard he had a... I mean, I heard Malon's pregnant now, but I didn't..."

"Mum's pregnant? I'm gonna have a brother or a sister?"

"What...?" Bowser stared blankly at her. "Are you from the future?"

"That's right. I grabbed a Line, and I think I got sent back in time."

"... you need to talk to Lakitu."

"Lakitu? But he's dead!"

"No, child!" Bowser snapped. "Listen, you're in _the past_. That means things are different. Lakitu is alive and well, right now. And, with a bit of luck, he will be in your future, if he's anything to say about it." He took her to a small room, with a comfy bed and a table and chair. "This'll do for now. I'll bring Lakitu here."

"I can't wait to meet him. He died just before I was born, so I never got to meet him."

-

The door opened about five minutes later, and Fionie stared at it expectantly. Bowser walked inside, followed by an orange tortoise riding a cloud.

"This is her?" Lakitu asked. He stared at Fionie, who could barely contain her excitement. The legendary Lakitu, in the flesh!

"H-hi!" She said nervously. "Are you... L-Lakitu?"

"I am. What's your name, young one?"

"I-I'm Fionie, daughter of the Hero Link, and Malon." She introduced herself as was proper in Hyrule; by stating her parents.

"From the future, I take it."

"Yeah. Teacher said something about it being inevitable that I come back here."

"Ah, then clearly the worlds and Lines are working their strange ways again. You must be here to change something." Lakitu half-smiled. "Who is your teacher?"

"Night Winged Daisy."

"Night..." Lakitu gaped at her. "Daisy?!" He screeched, making Fionie and Bowser cringe. "Night-Wing Daisy? Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah. I-I've known her since I was born."

"Daisy... the Lines, the spike... of course." Lakitu mused. "I get it now. My dear, you simply must come with me. For now, I ask you to stay here. I need to speak with Erk. I'll come back for you later, alright?"

"Yes, Sir!" Fionie gasped happily. The great Lakitu wanted her to go with him! She felt so honoured. Lakitu disappeared, teleporting away, and Bowser handed her a plate of food.

"Eat up, Fionie." He said. Fionie wolfed down the meal, excitement building to a fever pitch. She was finished within minutes, and sat fidgeting, waiting for Lakitu.

--

Lakitu returned two hours later, with a pale young girl.

"Adia!" Fionie gasped. "I haven't seen you in days! Where've you been?"

"Fionie, you're in the past, remember?" Lakitu told her. "Adia doesn't even know you yet."

"Oh yeah..." Fionie sighed. "Sorry, I'm kinda confused."

"It's alright." Adia said sweetly. "It's very nice to meet you, Fionie."

"You, too... I guess. So, Lakitu, what do you want with me?"

"I want you to stay at the Scholar University for a while, so we can figure out what exactly you need to do." He said.

"Maybe she's already done it? By telling you about Daisy?" Adia suggested. Lakitu shook his head.

"I doubt that. If she was brought here by the worlds and Lines, then they'll drag her back to her own time when she's done. She's still here, so there must be more for her to do. Fionie, did anyone say anything to you, that might be a clue as to what you have to do here?"

"No." Fionie replied. "Teacher said that I have a new destiny, but that's it."

"Alright, we'll figure it out." Lakitu promised her, then turned to Bowser. "Bowser, do you think you can find some footwear for Fionie here?"

"Sure thing." Bowser replied, walking from the room.

"Aren't you cold?" Adia asked Fionie. "Wearing no shoes?"

"I'm used to it." The tiny girl assured her. "But, I would like some clothes. If I'd known I was going to see you and Lakitu, I'd have worn something proper."

"Well, you didn't. Didn't Teacher tell you you'd be coming here?"

"No. She said I had a new destiny. When just before I came here, she said 'I'll see you again'. I didn't know what she meant."

"Well, now you do." Adia looked at Lakitu. "Where's she going to stay?"

"With you, in your room. The guest rooms are on the other side of the University, and I think I'll want her as close to me as possible. And no, she isn't staying in my room. Things will happen there that a two-slash-six year old shouldn't see." Lakitu grinned.

"I wasn't going to suggest that. I was just asking." Adia grinned back. "You okay with that, Fionie?"

"Yeah!!" Fionie squealed. "I _love_ your room! I..." She paused. "Um, have... did... no, sorry. Your room might be different now, to how it is in the future." She said 'future' with some difficulty. Bowser appeared a moment later, with a tiny pair of trainers.

"Difficult to get these." He grumbled. "I had to buy them off a Goomba, so she could buy a second pair."

"I appreciate your effort." Lakitu said. "How much did they cost you?"

"Oh, you don't have to pay me back. Don't worry about it." Bowser handed the trainers to Fionie. "Are these okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Fionie took them and tugged them onto her feet.

"We'll buy you some clothes when we get to the University." Lakitu told the girl. "Alright, let's get going. We need to get you moved in to Adia's room." He teleported away. Bowser excused himself and left the room. Adia stared at Fionie, who was pacing the room in her new shoes. Adia had been about to suggest that to her, so she could get used to them.

"You told me to always walk back and forth in new shoes." Fionie said as she passed Adia. "Helps you get used to them, you said. You were right. And these shoes are quite nice. And comfy."

"Right. Well, come on. We should get going." Adia held out a hand. Fionie walked over to her, shuffled her feet around for a moment, then held her hand. Adia teleported herself and Fionie to the Scholar's University.

--

Fionie and Adia appeared outside Lakitu's room, and Adia knocked. Lakitu took a moment to answer.

"I thought you'd take her straight to your room." He said, looking slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, Master. But, I was going to ask you for the money for the clothes. I don't have enough to buy any. I don't actually have enough to pay my tuition and room fee, either, but..." She shrugged.

"Alright, alright." Lakitu sighed. "You can't just make money here, since you don't know the spell they cast on it. Here." He handed her a small box from his cloud. "That should be enough for about two weeks worth of clothes, and your next month of fees."

"N-no... I didn't ask for..."

"It's fine." Lakitu pressed the box into her hand. "You deserve it, for all your hard work. I've been meaning to give this to you for a while. It's technically your apprentice wage." He smiled. "Didn't I ever mention that to you?" Adia shook her head. "Apprentices are supposed to get money off their mentor every month, and I haven't given you a denn since you got here. So, this is two months' worth of Apprentice Wages."

"Th-thank you..." Adia breathed, staring at the box. She opened it, counted it, then gasped. "Master! Are you sure you want to-"

"Yes, Adia. That's your wages, every denn of it."

"But... fourteen thousand san! It's too much!"

"No, it isn't. Now, get to the University store, and buy Fionie some clothes." He shut the door. Adia heard Majora laughing, and stating that Adia was a 'low-maintenance' girl. Adia sighed, held Fionie's hand, and started walking.

"Um, Adia?" Fionie spoke up, sounding nervous. Adia nodded. "Can... can I have a tour? I mean, I've been here before, but there was only a... sixth, I think, of it left. So, I wanna see the rest. Please?"

"Sure. Right after we buy your things, and get you settled in."

-

After buying Fionie some clothes, some books, puzzles, games and a small bed, Adia gave her a tour of the University. They started in the east building, on the third floor, second corridor, which was were Adia's room was located. Lakitu's room was directly below hers, on the second floor. The east building housed almost all of the students and Scholars, with the south building housing the rest of them, the University staff, office rooms for some the staff and some Scholars. The west building was mostly guest accomodation, with some games rooms, and the University's shops and restaurants. The north building had baths, showers, swimming pools, and exercise rooms. The central building, in the middle of the other four buildings, had study halls, lesson rooms, private lesson rooms, and the Scholars' Council Meeting Room. The Arena, further south than the south building, was for training and matches, and storing weapons. The library had its own building, to the west of the west building. When Fionie asked what the building to the north-east was for, Adia replied that she didn't know. Adia continued to tell Fionie that each building had names, but every reffered to them as north, east, south, west, central, library and arena. The north building was called the Kiawi building, south was Milui, east was Syau, west was Bymu, central was Eskuayo, the library was Ouchayaq, and the arena was Yasky. The north-east building was called Giachurryk. Each building had been named after one of the first Scholars. No-one knew what the north-east building was for. Lakitu, Majora, Pent and Gaea seemed to know, but refused to tell anyone. Each of the eight buildings had been named after the original Scholars. Adia then went on to explain the history of the Scholars. She told Fionie of the first Scholars, who had mysteriously appeared on a strange world, and had met together. After some mistrust and paranoia, the eight became friends, and talked about each others' worlds. Then one of them, Enzas Eskuayo, suggested that they pool their knowledge together and research each others' worlds, if they could find their way there. The others had agreed, though they doubted the possibility. Eventually, one of them (no-one was sure who) had discovered a way to teleport to other worlds. The eight then went from world to world, until eventually they settled on this one, which had only a handful of residents who were barely surviving. They made the land prosperous, with plenty of water and crops, using the magic they had discovered on the world. The people of the world thanked them, and offered anything in return. The eight asked them to build a large building for them, which the people happily did. Over mere decades years, more buildings were added, each of them named after the original eight Scholars. Adia also told Fionie that the Scholars were originally called 'Meinoya', which was the equivilant of Scholar in Enzas Eskuayo's language. The name was changed to Scholars by Narsen Giachurryk, who took over when Eskuayo died. Adia then listed the most famous Scholars, which included the original eight, former Head Scholar Siranos, Lakitu, Majora and Gaea, and even told Fionie their accomplishments.

"You're a famous Scholar in the future." Fionie said when Adia had finished.

"Really?" Adia asked, blushing. "Famous for what?"

"I don't remember. Sorry."

"It's alright." Adia sighed happily. "Wow. Me, famous."

Hey, does anyone have a character they want to see who isn't in the story right now? If you do, and if enough people want them, I'll try to work them in.

Also, I'm working on a spin-off story. It's about the Scholar University, and a girl aiming to become a Scholar. I might post it if it turns out good.

Finally, I'm going to post (pretty much at random) a bit of info about the Scholars. I'm struggling on the next chapter, and I'm pretty sure you guys are a little confused about the Scholars, since I don't explain much about them.


	24. The Scholars

The Scholars' University is home to a large group of people known simply as The Scholars. The Scholars research all things regarding the worlds, the Void, the Nether, and the residents of these places. Many of the Scholars are powerful magic-users, or strong warriors, though some are normal creatures from other worlds.

Below is a list of the buildings at the University, and their purpose.

East Building/Syau- Scholar and student accommodation

West Building/Bymu - Guest accommodation, games rooms, shops, restaruants

South Building/Milui - Scholar and student accommodation, staff accomodation, offices

North Building/Kiawi - Baths, showers, swimming pools, exercise rooms

Central Building/Eskuayo - Study halls, lesson rooms, private lesson rooms, the Scholars' Council Meeting Room.

Library/Ouchayaq - Library, personal study rooms

Arena/Yasky - Training, matches, weapon storage

Forbidden Building/Giachurryk - Forbidden texts, forbidden spells, detention rooms

-

The Scholars' University was created many eons ago, by eight creatures from different worlds. They had somehow ended up on another world, and had met after a few months on this world. These eight had the idea to set up the University after a lengthy discussion regarding each others' home worlds. They each wanted to further research each others' worlds, and other worlds, and wanted a place to store and share their findings. So, the eight found a way to teleport to different worlds. They eventually found a world with naught but a few hundred residents, who were barely surviving off their land. They used the magic they had discovered on the world to improve their lives, and asked them to build the University in return. The residents of this world happily agreed, and so the building now known as 'Central' or 'Eskuayo' was created, and named after the creature who had first suggested the idea of making the University. The others agreed to this naming. Over the years, the Central building became full of documents and books, and others who also wanted to join their cause. Eventually, the decision was made to erect another building, to the south of the Central building. This building was named Milui, after the most successful of the first eight. Several decades passed, and again these buildings had become too full. Ouchayaq decided it would be best to construct a much larger building, and use it to store all the texts, documents and books. The building, now known as The Library, was built and named after Ouchayaq. By now, the group had a large number of members, living in the Eskuayo and Milui buildings, so the two buildings were rennovated for accomodation, with the Milui building holding a small cafeteria. The original eight decided that it was time for their group to name themselves, as they were now large in number, and known across several worlds. The decided name was originally 'Meinoya', meaning 'wise man' in Eskuayo's language. This name was kept for millenia, and was changed two billion years ago to 'The Scholars' by the then-leader, Eqos Chlaeou. Scholar, meaning 'a learned person', was a more widely-recognised name from a better-known language. Giachurryk, who took over after the death of Enzas Eskuayo, also decided to create the 'Forbidden' Building, to store dangerous and evil documentation, and also to house evildoers from other worlds and their own. At this time, the east and west buildings, named after Syau and Bymu respectively, had been created. The Arena, named after Yasky, was built just ten years after the Forbidden Building. A further fourty years later, the north building was made, and named after Kiawi. At this time, the current system within the Scholars' University was created, and this system continues even to this day, over a billion years later.

-

The system within the Scholars' University is a simple one. There are students, apprentices, teachers, Scholars, mentors, and other staff.

Below is a list of the people in the University, their roles, and other information.

Student - A learning Scholar. Students have to pay for their education at the University, and their room (should they choose to stay at the University). If a Scholar or teacher takes a student as an apprentice, then the student receives a monthly 'Apprentice Wage' from that person, who becomes their mentor.

Apprentice - A student studying directly under a Scholar or teacher. They pay their tuition and room fees as normal, but receive monthly wages from their mentor.

Teacher - A person who teaches the students in groups.

Mentor - A teacher or Scholar, usually a Scholar, who has taken a student as his or her apprentice. That student becomes their responsibility, and as such the mentor must provide a room (if the apprentice is from outside the University) and education for their apprentice, and pay them a monthly wage to help the apprentice support themself.

Scholar - A researcher and studier of other worlds, the Void and the Nether. Scholars are the most important people in the University, and all people respect them. Scholars do not pay tuition or room fee, though they must still pay at the University shops and restaurant. Also, when a student becomes a Scholar, their name is altered, using part of the first and second name. Any part may be used, and in any order, but it is usually the first part of the first name with the first part of the second.

Other staff - Cleaners, accountants, receptionists, cooks, etc. They are paid by the University, and provided with free accommodation, though they still must pay at the shops and restaurant.

All people within the University answer to the Scholars, specifically the Head Scholar, who is in charge of every aspect of the University. All residents of the Scholar's University are offered a life-lengthening spell, so that they can live for thousands of years.

-

A list of the most famous Scholars, and their accomplishments:

Enzas Eskuayo - One of the original eight Scholars. The founder of The Scholars' University. The first Head Scholar.

Milui Akker - One of the original eight Scholars, and the most successful. Milui discovered several other worlds, and races.

Brinda Ouchayaq - One of the original eight Scholars, discovered magic in the Scholar's world, when the original eight first arrived.

Narsen Giachurryk - One of the original eight Scholars. The second Head Scholar.

Eres Syau - One of the original eight Scholars.

Orial Bymu - One of the original eight Scholars.

Perenwa Yasky - One of the original eight Scholars.

Iwai Kiawi - One of the original eight Scholars.

Chaykrus Tsoyaue - Enhanced research on magic in the Scholars' world.

Rykuso Sae - Developed a way to make Scholar magic work in other worlds, and a way to make other worlds' magic work in the Scholars' world.

Eqos Chlaeou - Discovered the Void, and the life-enhancing spell. Changed the name 'Meinoya' to 'Scholar'. The third Head Scholar.

Dyee Apiwu - Discovered the Nether. Also developed the Scholar Council.

Esywyr Ryk (Esryk) - Found and researched Night-Winged Nerra.

Myki Ales (Myles) - Discovered the Maidens/Knights, and the dangers of travelling to other worlds.

Tyae Vibyoo (Tyvi) - Developed the spell for sealing Night-Winged Nerra's incredible power.

Wayjua Noujya (Juanou) - Discovered (or possibly created) the spell to seal Eo.

Dirk Tyamya (Diyam) - The 'focus point' for the spell that sealed Eo.

Siran Osara (Siranos) - Researched many spells and magical phenomena. The fourth Head Scholar.

Majal Oraion (Majora) - Discovered how to contain magic, magic energy and magic knowledge in objects. Also discovered telepathic communication and mind-reading.

Kae Gaea of the Bora (Gaebora) - Finalised the research on teleportation, discovering a fail-safe method.

Lakita Tuan (Lakitu) - Discovered the TimeLines, World Energy, Heroes, Sand-Reading, World Spikes, The Laws Of Dimensional Transferrence and World Identity. He also researched, and made incredible progress and discoveries on, Maidens/Knights, the Void, the Nether, magic, Heroes, World Spikes, World Identity, World Energy and the TimeLines. Lakita is also infamous as the first homosexual Scholar. The fifth Head Scholar.

Bowser Koopa (Serko) - The first Koopa Scholar, and the first Scholar to translate ancient Koopan texts.

Ganondorf - Furthered research on the Triforce of Hyrule.

Adia Limena (Adiana) - Apprentice to the great Lakita Tuan. Discovered time-travel, time syntaxes, merging, spirit communication, 'inner transformation', and 'inner magic'. Developed the memory-restoration spell. Resides as the current Head Scholar, the sixth.

Okay, so maybe I didn't put as much as I could, but at least it's something for you guys to read while waiting for the next chapter


	25. Chapter 3 fixed

**Chapter 3**

**Luigi**

Luigi kicked the door miserably, and walked into his room. He'd lost count of how long he'd been stuck here, in this world, working at this inn. How long he'd been away from his love, Daisy. Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks as he thought of her. How he missed her. He wondered if she was thinking about him, too. He walked over to the desk, and looked at the picture of Daisy he had drawn. Over time, he had changed and improved the picture, making small parts better each time. Now, it almost looked like the real Daisy, wearing her yellow dress and royal crown. He had managed to get the rich, smooth and flowing effect of her hair, and even some of the shine it had. He had put gloves over her bare hands, and added a necklace, hairpiece and bracelet. It looked pretty realistic. Shame it wasn't the real thing. He walked over to his bed, and laid down with a grunt.

"What a day." He groaned. He had finally fixed the plumbing system, which a man had messed up after living in the toilet, he had reinforced and repaired two more walls, redecorated the kitchen, then gone to the market to buy tools, and other things. He still had to sort out the sewage, the water, the heating, the flooring, the rest of the walls, replace all of the doors, fix the roof, and the giant bell sat atop the building. Besides that, other people in town had asked him for small repair jobs. This gave him alot of money, but not much free time. He didn't mind that, though; it helped keep his mind off Daisy and his home. Remembering her again, Luigi felt tears struggling to fall from his eyes. He sighed, and sat up again. He didn't want to think too much about Daisy, but he didn't want to stop thinking about her altogether. Grumbling furiously, he walked down to the kitchen to make himself a snack. Anju was in there, preparing a small meal for some of the guests.

"Oh, hello, Luigi." She greeted him politely.

"Hi." Luigi replied. "Just making myself a snack."

"Of course, go ahead." Anju smiled warmly. "You've done so much for us, and for little pay. The least we can do is let you eat when you want to."

"You're giving me a place to stay, and warm food." Luigi told her. "You're giving me enough." He pulled some food out of the cupboard.

"I-If you say so." She put some of the meal she was making onto some plates, then left the kitchen.

"Don't forget the plates, Anju." Luigi called to her.

"Oh! Of course!" Anju gasped, dashing back to the kitchen. "I'm so forgetful today." She picked up the plates, then walked outside. "Room 2. Room 2. Room 2." She kept saying to herself. Luigi sighed, pulling a pan from a cupboard. He accidently knocked the cupboard door with it, which promptly clattered to the floor.

"I'll have to replace these, too." Luigi groaned. "They're falling apart." He picked up the cupboard door, and put it in the corner. He pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his new pants, and scribbled 'kitchen cupboards' on it, before putting it away again. "Time to eat." He began preparing his meal.

--

Sereng grumbled, pacing back and forth, ignoring the placating tones of the three Wizrobes. Lady Nerra had disappeared, and not reported to them in months, and the Master hadn't told them anything, either.

"That's it!" Sereng snapped, making the Wizrobes jump. "I'm going to find her!"

"Sereng, no!" One of the Wizrobes gasped. "Lady Nerra told us to stay here unless she said otherwise!"

"But what if something's happened to her?" Sereng asked them.

"We can turn ourselves invisible, Sereng. We could go search for her."

"No, I'll go myself." Sereng asserted. "I won't go into the town, just nearby, and see if I can find anything out." He started walking toward the town.

"Take care, Sereng." The Wizrobes said to him. Sereng waved a massive arm in response.

"I don't know how he's managed it," One of them said to the others, "But now he's got us worried about him. He's somehow wormed his way into our affection."

"He's a very intelligent, emotional Moblin." The second, Charzli, said. "The Master has never made one like him before. He's unique."

"He's like a rare trophy." The third grinned. "Naturally we would want to take good care of him."

-

Sereng loitered by one of the entrances to the town. Something felt very wrong. He watched as some children ran along the streets, as two women practised some sort of dance routine, and someone beat on the door of a some sort of sword school, screaming some nonsense. What was wrong? What was missing?

"She's gone." A voice mumbled. Sereng froze. "She left a while ago." Sereng slowly turned his head. The gate guard, who was usually stationed inside the town, was standing outside.

"Wh-what?" Sereng asked him.

"The girl with night-black hair? She said she was meeting someone, and had to leave. She gave me this." He showed Sereng a cloak.

"I don't believe you. Why would she tell you something like this?"

"A young girl was wandering around these streets at night. It gets dangerous, and I had to ensure she was safe, or that she wasn't a dangerous person."

"I..." Sereng sniffed the air. He took in a huge breath through his nose, taking in all the scents. The man was telling the truth; Sereng could smell that. Also, Lady Nerra's scent had disappeared, as had her energy. "Did she say where she went?"

"She did not." The guard told him. Sereng sighed, taking the cloak from him and putting it on. "She described you in great detail, and insisted I give you the cloak. Believe me, those wings of hers gave me a fright. She also wants you to have this..." He handed Sereng a necklace, much like his own skull necklace, but it had night-black feathers as well as other shaped stone and gems.

"I thank you, kind Sir." Sereng mumbled, removing his skull necklace, and putting on the necklace from Nerra. He adjusted his cloak, tying it tight, then turned and walked back toward the Wizrobes.

"She doesn't want you to follow her." The guard called after him. "She says to go back home, and tell them that she went away of her own will."

"I shall."

**Ganondorf**

Ganondorf sighed, sinking into his seat. He glared at the Wizrobe, trying to calm himself. This news had angered him greatly.

"Are you sure of this?" He finally managed to ask.

"Y-yes, Sire. Lady Nerra is not in Termina, Hyrule or even the Mushroom Kingdom. She has gone somewhere, of her own will, and does not wish to be followed."

"Why would she do that?" Ganondorf asked, speaking more to himself than the Wizrobe.

"I... could not say, Milord."

"I wasn't talking to you." Ganondorf snapped. "Go and bring Sereng and the Wizrobes home, if they want to come."

"Sereng has already express his wish to stay."

"Did he say why?"

"He says he is suspicious of one of the residents of Clock Town. He says he can smell a faint, but powerful, trace of someone's scent upon the cloak she wore. He believes that Lady Nerra may have been close to this man, and he may know where she-"

"SILENCE!!!" Ganondorf boomed, leaping to his feet. "I will not hear it!" He started pacing. "Sereng is free to do as he wishes. Give him the Elfin Armlet."

"Sire? You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. He'll need it if he's to stay in Termina. Meanwhile, the rest of you will _continue the search_!"

"Y-yes, My Lord!" The Wizrobe sprinted from the throne room. Ganondorf sighed heavily, and walked to his throne, dragging his feet.

"Nerra..." He moaned. "Where have you gone? And who is this man you were close to?" He thumped his fists on the arms of his throne. "Dammit! And I was being so careful this time! I didn't want a repeat of what happened with Nabooru!" He threw an energy ball at the wall in anger. The wall remain intact; Ganondorf and many others had reinforced it several times over to withstand the Dark Lord's moods. He growled, as he wanted to destroy something, then sighed and walked toward his bedroom.

**Sereng**

Sereng stared at his arm. His peach-coloured, thin arm, ending in a peach-coloured, five-fingered hand. He smiled to himself, feeling relieved that the Elfin Armlet had worked. He stood a foot or so shorter than his Moblin form, had a sea of wavy brown hair on his head, a butch, tough-looking face with brown eyes, a large torso and arms (for an elf, Sereng mused), and thick, powerful legs. He still wore the leggings from his Moblin form, which were now too small for him, as Moblins have shorter, but stronger, legs than elves and humans. The Dark Lord had even granted Sereng some rupees to use in town. Sereng walked into town, wrapping his cloak around him tightly, and began to search for the only human in Clock Town: the outsider known as Luigi. Sereng felt it would be easy to find someone as unique as that in this world. Feeling confident, but still nervous, Sereng entered Clock Town, in search of some new leggings.

-

After buying his new leggings (which felt very nice), and an hour of searching for the outsider, Sereng found himself becoming somewhat tired. As the Elfin Armlet clearly took alot of energy, and elves had less stamina than a Moblin, this didn't come as much of a surprise. He asked the way to the nearest inn, and made his way there. The Stock Pott Inn, it was called. Hadn't Charzli mentioned that name once? Sereng shrugged it off, thinking it was unimportant, as the inn itself came into sight. Sereng noted, with the slightly more honed elfin eyes, that the inn had a large bell on its roof, for some reason. Sereng shook his head, reminding himself to stay focussed, and entered the inn. He received a very large surprise upon entering.

"May I help you?" The man at the counter asked. Sereng stared at him, dumbfounded. This was the very person he had been searching for! His clothes and appearance matched descriptions made by some of the people Sereng had asked 'Have you seen someone who looks like he's not from around here?'. "Sir?"

"Uh..." Sereng coughed. "Yes, I'd like a room, please. Are any available?" He approached the counter.

"Let's see..." The man looked through a book. Sereng stared down at this man; the one who had been close to Nerra. The one who had been with her before she decided to leave. This man, who could answer all of Sereng's question, stood beneath him, yet Sereng found himself unable to ask. "Yes, my room. Room 3. There's a spare bed in there. You don't mind sharing with me, right?"

"Uh... of-of course not. I don't mind."

"That'll be fourty rupees, please." Sereng handed the money over, and the man handed him two keys. "One key's for the room, the other key's for the front door."

"Front door?"

"We lock it at nine at night. If you're still out when we lock the door, you'll need that key to let yourself in."

"Ah. Of course." Sereng put the keys into his pocket. "You say we're sharing a room?" The man nodded. "Then, can I have my room-mates' name?"

"Luigi Mario." The man replied. "What's yours?"

"Um..." Sereng thought for a moment. Would Sereng be too strange a name for an elf? He remembered an Iron Knuckle mentioning someone he fought once. "My name is Okami."

"Pleased to meet you, Okami." Luigi said, pointing his hand at Sereng.

"Um... what?"

"Hm? I want to shake your hand." Luigi told him. Sereng had never seen this gesture before.

"What... do I do?"

"Give me your hand." Sereng did so. Luigi gripped his hand tightly, and shook it a little. "That's shaking hands. It's a greeting, and a thank-you, where I come from."

"I see." Sereng smiled. "So, you said hello, and thanked me for my business?"

"Heh. Guess you could say that." Luigi grinned. "Have a nice stay, Okami."

"I'm sure I will. This place seems to have exactly what I'm looking for."

"You like it? I did all this myself."

"Really? How long have you been here?"

"Only a few months. I've basically remodelled the entire inn. There's only a couple of things left to do."

"You must be a great man. I look forward to being your friend."

"Same here, Okami."

"I'm going to see my room now." Sereng said, then walked away. He walked up the stairs, to Room 3. It looked quite nice. Pretty wallpaper on the walls, the beds looked strong and comfortable. He sat on one the beds, which was as comfortable as he had guessed. _This Luigi looks like quite a handyman. _Sereng mused. _But, to do all this in a few short months... he must have incredible strength and stamina. And willpower. If it comes to a fight, I'm not sure I could win easily._ He sighed. _I'll have to befriend him. Take my time, gain his trust, then ask about Lady Nerra. But, how should I pose the question? I can hardly call her Lady Nerra, because it could give everything away. If I say Nerra, he might ask if I knew her. If he thinks I knew her, he'll wonder why I asked... a friend or relative should surely know? I'll have to say that I'm looking for her. A job, or something. But... Oh, why didn't I think about this before I came here?_

"Is the room satisfactory?" A young voice said from the door. Looking, Sereng saw a young boy with blue hair and mild features staring at him.

"Who are you, child?" Sereng asked, annoyed that his thinking was interrupted.

"Pardon me. I'm Kafei, the manager of the Stock Pott Inn."

"A mere child, the manager? You jest."

"I may not look it, but I am nearing fourty years old."

"Child, I am not in the mood to play your games."

"I play no games, Okami. Perhaps speaking to the proprietess, or even our builder, will show you."

"Bring them, then!" Sereng snapped, his patience waning.

"We're already here." Luigi's amused voice sounded. He stepped into the room. "Sorry, Okami, I put Kafei up to this."

"You thought it would be funny to have a child tell me he is the manager?"

"No, I thought your reaction would be funny when you discover that the manager is a child."

"I don't understand." Sereng said blankly. Kafei, Luigi, and another woman, who was stood by Kafei, starting laughing. "What... what is so funny?"

"Sorry... sorry."

"Funny reaction, like you said, Luigi." Kafei laughed.

"Kafei was put under a curse, Okami." Luigi told Sereng. "No-one's been able to break it yet." He grinned widely. "Sorry. It's just that things have been a bit quiet lately." Luigi sighed. "Well, anway. I'm gonna get back to the desk." He left without another word.

**Majora**

Majora sat in his room, chuckling. He was using a magic spell to watch Lakitu's actions in Hyrule. Poor, poor Link, Majora mused. He could tell that Lakitu was still upset by Link's 'mistake' comment, to judge by the way he was fighting. Majora watched the fight for a few more moments, then cancelled the spell and returned to his research. Research that he knew would take him a long time, and would deprive him of much sleep and food. But, Majora simply had to find out how to seal Eo. Majora opened the first book he had thought to look in. Appropriately entitled 'Seals and Magical Prisons', Majora thought there might be something to trap Eo within these pages. The first spell was clearly too weak to hold Eo, so Majora skipped it entirely. Sipping on his drink, Majora mentally prepared himself for what was sure to be a huge, and long, task.

**Bowser**

The Koopa King walked the corridors of his castle, looking out on his people. He smiled to himself, feeling suddenly happy. There was something about calling his followers his 'people' instead of 'minions' or 'army'. All of his people were working dilligently in the metalworks factories, making metal that the Princess had requested. Bowser smiled again, remembering that Princess Peach had allowed him, and his people, to be a part of the Mushroom Kingdom. Of course, the Mushroom People were still wary of them, but Bowser hoped that those feelings would lessen in time, and his people would be accepted by the other people. Bowser turned away from his hard-working people, and headed to his room. He had worked in the factory less of late, as he had instead dedicated himself to reading the books his ancestors had written; mostly books of the Koopa history, and other worlds the Koopa tribe knew of. It seemed that the Koopa tribe had travelled from world to world for several generations (Koopa generations, which were considerably longer than human generations), hoping to find a permanent home after their original home was destroyed. The books had not said by who, but Bowser wasn't much fussed by this fact. At last, they had settled on the Mushroom Kingdom, and hoped to make this world their own. They intended to control every creature, not out of selfish desire, but out of fear. They had been afraid that one of these creatures may destroy this place, just as had happened in their previous home. This also explained the Koopa tribe's quick declaration of war over the Toadstools: they didn't want their home taken away again. Bowser was greatly saddened by this, yet at the same time became eager to learn more of his ancestors, of the once-glorious Koopa tribe, of which only two Koopas survived; Bowser, and his adopted son, Junior, who he had found some years ago. Bowser chuckled as remembered telling Junior that Princess Peach was his mother. The chuckle became a sigh. Bowser found himself wishing this to be true. He knew, however, that this wasn't possible.

"Lord Bowser." A Shy-Guy said shyly from the door.

"Yes?" Bowser replied calmly.

"Um... s-someone wishes to see you, My Lord."

"Send them in."

"Yes, Sire." The Shy-Guy retreated, closing the door. A few minutes later, there came a knocking.

"Enter." Bowser called. A human walked inside. "Can I help you?" Bowser asked.

"Lord Bowser." The man bowed. "It is a great honour to meet you. I am Dracob. I am among a group of people known as the Scholars."

"The Scholars? The name is familiar."

"I believe so. Lakita Tuan, who you know as Lakitu, is one of us. He currently presides as Headmaster."

"I see. What of them?"

"We wish for you to join us, Lord Bowser."

"Join you?"

"Yes. Become a Scholar. We would pay you quite handsomely in the currency of your choice. You see, we understand that you have recently ceased in your wrongdoings, and have devoted your time to researching your ancestors, correct?"

"I..." Bowser wondered how they knew this. "Yes, what of it?"

"We have some books in our library that are written in your language. We do not have a Scholar who can translate Koopan text. We hoped that perhaps you would be willing-?"

"I would." Bowser told him. "I'll even translate them into twolanguages for you."

"Two? Which two?"

"The one we speak in now; Universal Human, and in Avian."

"You speak Avian?"

"In a sense. I can read and write it, but the speech is beyond me. Are there Avian texts that need translating?"

"We do have an Avian translator, but she is due for retirement soon. Perhaps you could take her place?"

"I think I will. Thank you, Dracob."

"My pleasure, Lord Bowser. When can we bring the texts?"

"Will I not be going to your world?"

"Do you not have a kingdom to run, my Lordship?"

"Yes, I do." Bowser sighed, remembering. "Guess I got ahead of myself. You can bring the texts tomorrow or the day after. Give me time to set my room up."

"As you wish, my Lord." Dracob bowed, then left. Bowser smiled to himself. A Koopa, a Scholar! How strange. Bowser realised that he had done many things that a Koopa would normally never do. Sure, befriending a former enemy, and working honestly were uncommon of late, but not unheard of. Being influenced and controlled by another was frowned upon, and not killing an enemy in combat was against tradition. However, gardening, cooking and flower-arranging were just plain sickening. Sure, his ancestors would be spinning in their graves, but Bowser didn't care. He, as one of the last Koopas, had to move ahead if the clan was to survive. Maybe the gardening, cooking and flower-arranging was going a bit too far, but Bowser had to get used to doing things he didn't like, if he wanted to continue living comfortably. He smiled, and continued reading his books, while his people continued to work on the metal.

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Okay, so this chapter might have sucked, and it was too short. I couldn't think of much to write for these characters. It's just setting up what they will be doing for the rest of the story. I also wanted to finish it so I could get started on the main chunk of the story: Link and Mario/Maria, and Myst and Nerra.

Also, as an odd mention. The main song from Super Smash Brothers: Brawl reminds me of this series alot. The line 'Now my friends are with me/Some of them once heroes/Some, my mortal enemies/And as we faced each other in battle/locked in combat/we shine ever brighter.' I dunno why it makes me think that way, but it does.

And finally, I messed up before. It seems I made the tremendously colossal mistake of putting chapter 3 of Picture Perfect here instead of this one. So, here it is…

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	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Malon**

Malon felt strange. She had just woken up, and instantly noticed that there were no more pains in her stomach. Malon shrugged this off, thinking that her baby had calmed down, or something. As she stood, she noticed that she no longer felt dizzy, which had been occuring occasionally recently. Again, she shrugged this off, thinking it to be a one-time occurence. She dressed herself, and walked down the stairs to the others, who were gathered in the living room. She felt oddly energetic.

"Morning, everyone!" She said cheerily.

"Malon." Link greeted her happily. "You look well today."

"Yeah, I know. I feel really good, for some reason." She smiled, and walked toward Link. Link walked toward her, arms ready to hug her. Moments away, Link stopped walking, and stared at Malon. "Something wrong?" She asked. Link didn't reply. Malon looked to the others, but they, too, were staring at her. Or rather, at her stomach. "What is it?"

"Malon..." Link said slowly. "I... don't know much about pregnancy, so perhaps you can help me out."

"Yes?"

"What... does it mean when... your stomach stops bulging?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, when your stomach goes flat."

"It... means the baby's not there any more. Why are you-?" She paused, and looked down. She could see straight down to her feet, rather than her stomach being in the way. She gasped, and stared at Link. "Wh-what happened? Where's my-?" She looked down again, as if to confirm that her stomach was indeed flat. "Link!" She cried. "My... o-our baby! It's gone! Where is it? What happened?" Grief gripped her. Fear swallowed her. Panic flared within her. Her baby. Gone.

"Hey, hey, shh shh..." Link gathered her in his arms. "Calm down, Malon."

"B-b-but... baby..." She whimpered.

"We'll find out, somehow." He looked to the others. "How do we get in touch with Lakitu?" He asked. Somewhere through her grief, Malon registered that Link was willing to speak to Lakitu, which he hadn't done since fighting Mario, to help her. A small glimmer of happiness appeared in her mind.

"Um... Lakitu said that if something was wrong, he'd know and come here." Sonic said, shrugging sadly. "None of us can talk to him."

"He should know about something this big." Rouge said, staring sadly at Malon. "He's a smart- oh, he's here." Everyone looked to the door, to see a seething Lakitu, and a concerned Adia.

"Lakitu, you've gotta-" Link began.

"Let me see." Lakitu growled, making everyone but Link and Malon take a large step back. "Maiden, face me." Still sobbing and whimpering, Malon turned around. Lakitu floated over to her, and stared at her stomach. He placed a hand upon it, and stroked it gently. He scowled, making everyone shudder. "Dammit." He hissed.

"Wh-what is it?" Malon managed to squeak. "What h...happened to my b-baby?" Lakitu looked up at her, still wearing the scowl, making her whimper and bury her face in Link's chest.

"I'm not entirely sure." Lakitu sighed roughly. "This is wrong... very wrong. This shouldn't... it might not _be_ that, though. Maybe..." His face returned to normal, and he drifted into thought.

"Master..." Adia's sweet voice sighed. "Malon needs..." She sighed again. "Forget it. Malon, can I take a look?" Malon nodded, and faced Adia. Adia crouched in front of Malon, and rubbed her stomach. "Hm... oh, wow. This _is_ wrong. Maybe she... no, can't be. Perhaps..." She frowned in thought. "Master, have another feel." She said to Lakitu. Lakitu snapped out of his reverie, and floated over.

"What am I looking at?" He asked, putting a hand on Malons' stomach. Adia moved his hand around for a moment.

"...there. Feel that?"

"I do." Lakitu frowned again. "It's definitely not because of..."

"No. It _was_ there, but now it isn't. If it was _that_, then it'd be like it was never there."

"That's right. Then... no, it hasn't..."

"Definitely not." Adia shook her head violently. "It was too strong."

"Then, there's only what one option."

"Only one thing that could've happened." Adia sighed, and stood up. Lakitu floated to eye-level.

"What is it?" Link asked, putting an arm around Malons' shoulders.

"Uhm..." Lakitu scratched his head. "I need to... go see about something, first. This is only a theory, you see. I need to be sure."

"You just said it was the only thing. Now, what is it?"

"Uhh... Adia, tell him." He teleported away.

"Master!" Adia gasped. "Jeez... Link, listen... this isn't easy for me to say, so I'm just gonna put it bluntly, okay?" Link nodded. "F... the baby's been stolen."

"stolen?" Malon whispered. "no..."

"Yeah, by magic. Someone's taken your baby." Adia shrugged. "I don't know who or how, but that's what it probably is."

"So, what did Lakitu need to check?" Link asked.

"He went to find out who stole it. And hopefully get her back. I'm so sorry, Malon. If I'd known that-"

"It's okay." Link interrupted, before Adia could start blaming herself. "You didn't know, so you couldn't have helped."

"But I _should have_ known!" Adia snapped. "You're my brother, remember? I'm supposed to look out for you, and help you, and-" Link silenced her with a gentle tap on the cheek.

"You have other things to worry about. Besides, I'm your _big_ brother. I'm the one supposed to be looking out for you." He sighed. "I think you should go and help Lakitu. Malon needs... time."

"Right. I'm still sorry, Link." She teleported away.

"Sit down, Malon." Link said softly, guiding the weeping Malon to the sofa. He sat next to her, holding her against him. "It's gonna be okay. Adia and Lakitu will find our baby, and bring it back."

**Eo**

Eo, the Quezacotl, bellowed in triumph. It nuzzled its' stomach, where a small, unborn creature was shaking, twisting, turning and kicking. This creature would become a brilliant warrior for Eo's new world. Obeying his every command, this creature would quash all uprisings. Eo smiled to himself. The daughter of Link and Malon would soon be under his command. How perfect that would be. The very flesh and blood of his enemy, now his ally. Eo chuckled. How perfect. The human child wriggled and writhed, as if trying to break free of its' prison.

_You are not going anywhere, slave._ Eo hissed in his mind, sending the thought to the child. He doubted it would understand, but it pleased him greatly to taunt the baby.

_You will be punished._ A female response sounded, making Eo gasp. _The Timeless Hero, the Hero of Dimensions, will not let this stand._

_Your pathetic father doesn't know it is I who has you. And even so, should he attack me, he risks losing you._

_Lies. My father is not pathetic, and it is only a matter of time before he knows you are responsible. He will not risk me. He will find a way to defeat you, and save me. You _will_ be punished._

_Silence!_ Eo snapped, severing the mental connection. _Arrogant elf-baby. I look forward to using her when she is ready._ A malevolent grin spread across the Quezacotls' face. This promptly disappeared following a sharp pain in its' stomach. _A shame she is needed, else I would kill her._ It growled.

**Nerra**

"There it is." Nerra sighed, relief washing over her. After traipsing through a huge jungle, she and Ganondorf had finally reached the small shrine where the final Chaos Emerald, the grey emerald, was waiting. As she was flying, and could see the shrine several metres ahead, she flew down to Ganondorf. "That way." She told him, pointing toward the shrine.

"Finally." He groaned. "I hate jungles. I'm glad there aren't any in Hyrule."

"The Lost Woods is worse than this."

"No annoying biting bugs in there, though." Ganondorf quickened his pace. "I only hope that there's a decent challenge here." Nerra set her feet on the ground, and jogged to keep up with him.

"The Chaos Emeralds are smart, Ganny. They'll know it's you coming, and they'll make something tougher." She assured the Dark Lord. Ganondorf simply nodded, quickening his pace again. Nerra now had to half-run to keep up. "Ganny, slow down." She asked him. Ganondorf ignored her, thundering forward. "Ganny!"

"I'm not slowing down." He told her. "I can't wait to finally face something decent. You were an excellent opponent, Nerra, but those were only spars. I want a _real_ match." Nerra picked up her pace, caught up, and looked at Ganondorf's face. His eyes were glimmering malevolently. Nerra recognised this. Ganondorf's eyes always glimmered before he fought. She sighed, and took to the air.

"Have fun." She said. "I'll keep an eye out above." She flapped her night-black wings, and flew above the jungle, scanning the ground. Ganondorf reached the shrine quicker than she had expected, and walked slowly to the emerald. As expected, a crystal creature appeared in front of him. It was grey, in the form of a bear-like creature, but with a thinner, more lithe figure. Ganondorf flexed and stretched his arms, then stood ready for the fight. The creature roared its' resonating howl, then charged. Ganondorf expertly flipped over it, evading the swinging paw with ease. The creature turned quickly, quicker than expected, and slashed him again. Ganondorf blocked the paw, and punched the crystal bear in the chest, knocking it through the air. The bear was back in front of him in less than two blinks, kicking him into the stairs of the shrine. Ganondorf rolled backward, only just escaping a downward punch. He lashed his leg outward, narrowly missing the bears' knee. The bear brought that leg forward, swinging it at Ganondorf. He leapt sideways, stabbing a punch at the bears' face. The bear span on the spot, making Ganondorf's fist graze its cheek. As it span to face him again, it grabbed his arm, span some more, and hurled him over its shoulder.

_He wanted a challenge._ Nerra mused, as the bear grabbed Ganondorfs' ankles, picked him up, then slammed him into the ground. Nerra winced. Ganondorf was lifted into the air again, but then sat himself up and smashed his fist into the bears' face. It growled and dropped him, staggering back. Ganondorf landed on his feet, and shoulder-charged the bear in the stomach, knocking it to the ground. Before it had the chance to get back up again, Ganondorf plunged his hand into its' chest, and pulled out its core. He smashed it. With a snort, Ganondorf shook the shards from his hands, and walked toward the emerald. Nerra sighed. That was over too quickly. She had wanted to see Ganondorf get serious. A few moments after she thought that, she realised that she might be able to see it after all. The crystal bear rose to its feet again, and silently walked toward Ganondorf. It raised a paw, ready to strike. Nerra rocketed to the ground, ready to warn him. If the bear attacked Ganondorf from behind, he might not get up again. Several feet before the ground, another crystal creature materialised, and shot toward her. This one was a harpy. Luckily, the appearance of this creature alerted Ganondorf, and as he turned to look at it, he turned just enough to spot the bear out the corner of his eye. However, he didn't manage to avoid the paw, which impacted his face heavily, and sent him sprawling across the ground. Nerra couldn't watch any more, as the crystal harpy shot at her, clawing at her with its talons. Nerra narrowly avoided it, but it circled around with amazing speed and agility, and shot at her again. Nerra evaded again, kicked at it as it flew past. Her foot glanced off the harpys' shoulder, barely affecting it. Again the harpy flew at her, and Nerra panicked for a moment. The harpy held its' talons in front of itself, screeching in attack. Nerra realised something at this moment. She focussed her energy, putting as much as she thought necessary into her hands, and her wings. Her wings grew in size, and her hands glowed a pulsing black. Nerra held her hands forward, and caught the harpys' talons, stopping it in mid-air. She flapped her huge wings furiously, trying to push the harpy back. The harpy screeched in response, flapping its own wings harder. Nerra scowled, then threw the harpy to one side. Then, she remembered that she had magic. She charged and cast a bolt of energy at the flailing harpy. It then turned out that the harpy had magic, too, as it sent a beam to intercept her energy bolt. The two collided and exploded in a cloud of smoke. Nerra took this moment to charge forward, flaring the energy in her hands again, drawing her right hand back into a fist. The harpy seemed to have the same idea, and as soon as the smoke cleared, she found herself staring at a very large talon. Then she found herself staring at nothing. She took a moment to sort herself. There was a throbbing pain in and below her left eye. She opened her right eye, the undamaged eye, as her left was crushed, with a large hole in it. Nerra kept it firmly closed. She looked around for the harpy, but couldn't see it anywhere. Suddenly, a ripping sound filled her ears. It was very close to her ears, too. Then her back flared in agony. Turning around, Nerra saw the harpy above her, screeching delightedly, clutching her wings in its' talons. It was then that Nerra realised she was falling.

"No..." She whimpered. "Not my... Noooo!!! NOOOO!!!" The ground was a long way down, and Nerra wondered if she would survive the fall. Though, that didn't matter. The left side of her face hurt, she was blind in her left eye, and that _filthy_ excuse for a bird had ripped her wings off! Nerra fought past the pain, powering up an energy ball in her hands. She clapped her hands together, sending a tremendously large bolt at the crystal harpy. It shrieked in pain, then exploded into dust. Nerra's wings floated slowly toward the ground, while Nerra herself plummeted. She barely registered a _thump_ and a blast of pain down her neck and spine, then everything went black.

**Shadow**

"I think I've figured it out." Tails said to Shadow as he walked into the living room. Three years had changed the fox a great deal. His fur was now rough, with a small patch missing on his shoulder. He only had one tail, and his face was a sea of scars and burn marks. His entire right arm was mechanical, and he had a mechanical left hand.

"Figured what out?" Shadow asked. He had been sat on the sofa with Amy, asking her what he had said to win her over.

"How to send you back, of course." The fox replied impatiently.

"Oh, right!" Shadow said, nodding. "How?"

"I tweaked my teleporter machine, using some of the data I got from Daisy last year. It should work fine. Want to try it?"

"Of course!" Shadow gasped, leaping over the back of the sofa.

"Shadow." Amy said, jogging over to him. "Don't forget. I know you'll be happy when you get back. If this works, I'll be the first person you see. Hug me, spin me around, and say how happy you are to see me. That's how I remember it. Then, spend alot of time with me. Be there for me, a shoulder to cry on. It only took a few days."

"I know, Amy. Thank you." Shadow hugged the pink hedgehog, who gripped him tightly.

"I'll miss you. Don't betray us this time. Stay with me."

"I will, I promise." Shadow kissed her lightly on the cheek, then walked over to Tails. "Let's go." The two walked to the basement.

-

"I don't think I'll be able to take you back to when you disappeared. You might be a day or so out, either direction. No more than a week." Tails was telling Shadow, as the black hedgehog stepped into the capsule.

"As long as I'm in my own time, I'll be happy. Thank you for this, Tails."

"No problem."

"And you have my word that I won't betray you this time. Thinking about it, betraying you all will mean me having to be away from Amy. I don't want that."

"Good. Here's hoping for a better future." Tails closed the capsule doors, and walked over to a control panel. "Here's hoping this works." He muttered, flipping a few switches, and inputting some data. "Smooth sailing, Shadow." He called, then pushed a large button. The capsule fizzled and sparkled for a moment, then smoke hissed out of it. The door opened, and Shadow was gone. "Hope it worked."

"So do I." Amy's voice said from the door. "I believe in you, Tails. And your machines." The two started to walk up the stairs. When they reached the top, they saw Shadow standing by the front door. Several things raced through the pairs' minds, then they walked over to the hedgehog.

--

Shadow looked around. The place didn't look any different to before. He had hoped that he would end up in Tails' basement, but he was out on the street. He walked toward Sonics' house, hoping with all his might that he had made it.

-

Opening the door, Shadow looked inside. The house seemed normal. At that moment, Amy appeared from the basement, with Tails just behind her. Shadow paused for a moment. He examined the fox stood behind Amy. His fur was intact, his face was unscarred, and he had both tails.

"Shadow...?" Amy asked cautiously. "Wh... where have you been? Sonic said you went missing right after you guys found the emerald. What happened? You've been gone for two days!"

"Amy... is Nerra or Link here?" Shadow asked.

"Huh? Links' upstairs with Malon. Something happened to her. Nerra and Ganondorf have gone to get the last emerald."

"So..." Shadow gasped, and smiled widely. "I made it!" He dashed over to Amy, and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I made it! I'm back!" He span her around, laughing happily. "I'm _so_ happy to see you!" He stopped spinning, and held Amy back at arms' length, smiling at her.

"Sh-shadow, what's with you?" Amy frowned in confusion. "I've never seen you so..."

"Excited?" Tails offered.

"Yeah! What happened to you?"

"I..." Shadow hugged her again. "It's a long story."

"So, let's hear it." Amy said, pulling free of the embrace. She took one of Shadows' hands, and walked him to the living room. She sat him on the sofa. "C'mon, spill it." Shadow grinned, and began to tell her about his journey to the future. He decided not to mention him and Amy being a couple. Halfway through the story, Sonic walked into the house. He walked into the living room, then froze. He froze for only a moment, then-

"Shadow! Buddy, where've you been?!" He asked, throwing his arms around Shadow. "Dude, we were so worried about you! What happened?"

"... just stuff." Shadow replied.

"Like what? C'mon, man." He released Shadow.

"I got sent to the future. That's all I wanna say."

"Oh... well, okay. I don't think we should know what's gonna happen. Could mess loads of stuff up. I'm gonna cook us up a huge dinner tonight, to celebrate." Sonic practically skipped into the kitchen.

"Amy." Shadow said to her. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Um... a few things." She replied. "Robotniks' helping us out now. Um... Nerra and Ganondorf are getting the final emerald."

"What about Malon? You said something happened to her."

"Err... she, er... uhm... l-lost her baby." Amy mumbled.

"She... what? Lost it? How?"

"Adia and Lakitu say it was stolen. We still don't know who did it."

"It's kind of obvious, isn't it?" Shadow snorted. "Eo did it."

"We all think it was him, but there's no proof. Besides, Adia and Lakitu thought something else might have happened."

"Well, I'll have to talk to them about it. But right now, I'm quite happy being back here with you."

"M-me? Why me?"

"Not just you. Everyone."

"Hey... you didn't finished telling me about the future."

"Well, it's like Sonic said. You shouldn't know about it."

"Too late for that. You were just telling me about when Adia showed up."

"Fine." Shadow sighed. "She appeared in front of us, and you told her to go away, calling her a traitor."

"Adia betrays us?"

"I don't know. Everything was so strange in the future. Nothing made much sense, and everyone was different."

"Anyway, carry on."

--

Later that day, the front door slammed open. Shadow, Amy, Tails and Sonic went to see who was there. They were shocked by what they saw. Ganondorf stood there, carrying a limp, blood-soaked, wingless Nerra in his arms. He looked thoroughly upset and beaten.

"What... happened?" Sonic asked, walking forward. "Ganondorf, what happened?"

"The emerald sent tougher guards than we expected. A giant crystal bear almost killed me. And a crystal harpy attacked Nerra, cut off her wings... sh-she's not breathing."

"Shadow, Tails, get her to the lab. Try and heal her." Sonic snapped.

"Got it." Tails said as he walked to the basement door. Shadow gently took Nerra from Ganondorf, and followed Tails into the basement.

"C'mon, Ganon. Come and sit down." Sonic said soothingly. "Nerra's gonna be fine. Tails and Eggman will fix her up good as new. I don't think a measly emerald is gonna kill her."

"Speaking of which." Ganondorf sighed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the grey emerald. "Take it away from me, before I destroy the damn thing."

"Right." Sonic snatched it from him. "Don't worry about it. Even if Tails can't do anything, Lakitu can."

"I hope so. I truly hope so."

"Amy, can you-?" Sonic turned to face her, but she was gone. "Amy? Where'd that girl go?"

-

"I'm out of my depth, here." Shadow said to Tails and Robotnik. "I don't know what any of these machines do." Nerra was lying on a metal table. "Sorry, guys."

"It's fine." Robotnik assured him. "Just leave it to us. Tails, bring me the arbarator." Tails nodded, dashing to a cupboard. Shadow took two steps backwards, wishing he could more to help, then turned to leave. He walked straight into Amy.

"Oh, sorry." He gasped, grabbing her shoulders before she fell over. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. What about Nerra?" She nodded to the wingless girl.

"I don't know. I don't think we'll know anything for a while. Excuse me, please." He brushed past her, and walked up the stairs. Amy looked at Nerra for a moment, then turned and went after Shadow. As she reached the top of the stairs, she glimpsed Shadow walking out of the front door. She quickly followed him.

"Shadow." She said as she walked outside. He was leaning against the wall. "Are you okay?" She closed the door and walked over to him.

"No, not really."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"It won't help. It's just... I was so happy to be back, and now... this. I really like Nerra, and I wish I could do more to help her. I've no doubt that she'll be fine, but I just want to be able to do something for her." He sighed.

"Ohh, Shadow." Amy groaned. "Don't beat yourself up over it. I like Nerra, too, but I can't do anything, either."

"...I'm sorry. I guess I was being a little selfish, thinking-"

"No, it's okay."

"Nerra didn't have her wings. Ganondorf said the harpy-creature cut them off. Think I should go get them?"

"Yeah. If that'll make you feel better. Want me to come with you?"

"I'd appreciate that. Can you keep up?"

"I've gotten faster lately. I could always swipe an emerald to give me a speed boost." She grinned.

"No, don't do that. I'll go slow for you."

"You don't even know where they went. I'll show you, so you follow me."

"Alright, lead the way." Shadow gave a small smile. Amy smiled back, then ran toward the jungle where Nerra and Ganondorf had found the grey emerald. Shadow followed.

-

It didn't take long for the pair to find Nerra's wings. One was laying on top of the remains of the crystal bear, then other was on the ground several feet away. Shadow picked them up, and turned to leave.

"Hey, Shadow?" Amy asked, making him turn back.

"Yes?"

"You didn't tell me everything about the future, did you?"

"Um... of course I did."

"Hmm. You paused. You're lying."

"I'm not. I... was just trying to remember if I'd forgotten."

"I still think you're lying."

"Well..."

"Was I... with anyone? Y'know? Did I have a boyfriend?" She blushed a little. "And tell me the truth."

"You... weren't with anyone, no." Shadow replied evasively. "But you were in love with him. And he with you." He added, looking away.

"... who was it?" She asked quietly. Shadow didn't answer. "Shadow, who was it?"

"I... don't think I should tell you. I've told you too much about the future. You shouldn't know any more."

"I need to know, Shadow. It's only three years from now. Was it Sonic?"

"Nn... no." Shadow said with difficulty.

"It wasn't...? Then, who? Who else..." She gasped. "Is that why you were suddenly so friendly? Why you hugged me, and said you were happy to see me? Was it... me and you?" Shadow remained silent. "Shadow, tell me!" She grabbed his arms. Tell me! Tell me, Shadow!"

"I can't. I really don't think I should."

"It was, wasn't it?" Amy stepped back. "Shadow, I need to know." She blushed a little more. "Were we in love?"

"Yes, okay? We were. I betrayed us all, joined Eo, in exchange for him promising not to hurt you. He kept that promise. I put up with everyone hating me to keep you safe. Happy now?"

"Very." Amy breathed. "You wouldn't believe how much I missed you these past two days. At first I thought it was just concern as a friend, but on the second day... I realised it was something more. I went on another date with Sonic, to be sure. I didn't enjoy it. I didn't enjoy his company. I found myself thinking about you the whole time."

"Amy..." Shadow began, then stopped. He realised that Amy had sounded oddly relieved when he'd told her that she wasn't in love with Sonic in the future.

"I missed you so much, Shadow. When you just showed up like that, and hugged me... it made me happy. I was confused at first, because you never seemed interested in me before. What happened between future me and you?"

"Uhm... the future me told me all about it. For some reason, I suddenly felt exactly like he said he did."

"So... are you in love with me?" Amy asked, her eyes widening a little, her blush deepening. Shadow stared directly at her, blushing a little.

"Yes."

"Oh..." Amy sighed. "Th... thank god!" She dashed forward and threw her arms around him. "I hoped... that when you made it back... I could be yours. I love you, too, Shadow." She looked up at him. "Will you... be my boyfriend?" Shadow stared at her a moment.

_This isn't what future Amy said. She said it would take a few days._ He looked into Amy's eyes. Such pretty eyes. How could he refuse? _Whatever. Whether it happens now, or in a few months. _

"Shadow?" Amy asked, looking worried.

_Just say yes._ Shadow told himself._ Say yes. Don't miss the chance._

"Yes, Amy. Yes." He smiled. "I will." Amy gasped happily, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Thank you, Shadow!" She cried, hugging him tight. "Thank you..." She hugged him a moment longer, then looked up at him again. "Can I... have a kiss?"

"Of course." Shadow told her, leaning closer.

**Adia**

"What do you make of it?" Lakitu asked Adia, in her room. He had just shown her the vision that Majora had shown him.

"Looks... bad." Adia said with a sigh. "But, it's better than the last one."

"Definitely. No-one seems to be with him willingly." He closed his eyes a moment. "Shadow and Amy just got together."

"Huh?" Adia closed her own eyes, casting her consciousness to where Shadow and Amy were on Mobius. "Wow, they did. Didn't see that one coming."

"Should we go and try to do something about Nerra?"

"I dunno. You're the one who makes these decisions. Think Tails and Robotnik can handle it?"

"No idea. Their machines are good, but... maybe. Yeah, let's go and see them."

"You go, Master. I've got something to take care of."

"Oh... okay." Lakitu seemed disappointed. "I'll be back in a few hours, then." He disappeared. Adia sighed, and slumped onto her bed.

"No way would I work with Eo, no matter what. Even if I'm being a double agent. I wonder... what's going to happen?" As she asked that, Fionie walked inside.

"Are you okay, Miss Adia?" She asked. "You seem a little down."

"Oh, I'm just thinking." Adia assured the girl.

"You saw my future, didn't you? Where I come from."

"Yeah... I did."

"Don't worry. You're going to fix it. I believe in you." Fionie walked over to, and sat, on her little bed. "Sir Lakitu will fix everything, and so will you. Don't worry about a thing."

"I hope you're right, Fionie." Adia sighed. "I've yet to see a happily-ever-after future. The sand keeps showing me the most likely outcomes, and they all seem pretty bleak, one way or another."

"Why not talk to it again? Maybe things have changed."

"Hmm... I think I will. Pass me the bowl." She held a hand out. Fionie hopped off her bed, pattered to a table, lifted the bowl of sand from it, then took it to Adia. "Thank you. And please wear shoes. I keep worrying you'll catch a chill."

"I'll be fine." Fionie said, sitting next to Adia. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on you. In case you get trapped."

"Thanks." Adia scooped some sand out of the bowl, then poured it back in. She repeated this, as usual, then scooped out a large chunk of sand in both hands. She let it trickle between her fingers, recording this moment, this journey from her hands back to the rest of itself. Her eyes glazed over white, matching her skin, and Adia's mind was thrust into the future.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry, guys. This story's getting tough, and I'm having a hard time with it. I seem to be struggling with fight scenes now, and I'm worried that I put too much talking in. The other things I'm struggling with is who I should focus on next, and what exactly they should do. Don't worry, I'm not about to abandon the story. I'm at the point where I need to start thinking about the ending, which will be tough for me. I have a weird thing where if I plan the ending, and know what's going to happen, I stop writing. But I'm not going to do that here.

My main concern is the future visions. It's hard work, figuring out what to put where, and when, and avoid plot-holes. If you've noticed a plot-hole, please tell me, and I'll try to rectify it.

I think I asked this before, but I'll ask again. If there's a character not in the story, and you want to see them again, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

Anyway, thank you yet again for the support. Don't be afraid to say bad stuff about my story. I need to hear all opinions on it, no matter how harsh. How else can I improve?

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	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Daisy**

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Luigi was asking Daisy in his room in Eo's hideout.

"Wait..." Daisy said, concentrating. Then, she felt Eo's energy shift. He was out of the Shamans' body. His energy shifted again, indicating that Eo was talking to his other half. "Okay. I need to talk to you about Eo."

"What about him?"

"He's been lying to you, Luigi. He's not trying to unite the worlds to prevent war."

"How d'you know?"

"I've seen what he's trying to do. He enslaved Bowser, making him do his bidding. He forced Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule into each other. He tried to kill Link and Mario. He made them swap worlds, so they wouldn't be able to stop him from taking over."

"No, that's wrong." Luigi frowned. "The Scholars made all that up about him. They're the bad ones. They _make_ wars, so they can be heroes."

"No, Luigi." Daisy said gently. "The Scholars research the worlds, and the Void, and everything else. They try to protect them. They don't want to be heroes, they just want to research, and study, and help."

"Adia's a Scholar. She told me to kill Mitrea. Mitrea's not even a bad person. The Scholars put her in an eternal sleep, even though she begged them not to. They didn't even give her a chance."

"When that happened... everyone was really scared of Eo, and his followers. They couldn't afford to take chances. Would you take that chance, in their position? Eo's been destroying and taking over countless worlds, enslaving the residents, and Mitrea helped him do it. Would you risk setting her free?"

"Well, no. If that's what really happened."

"Luigi, please believe me. Lakitu and the Scholars are fighting the good fight. And I plan to, as well. I don't want to have to fight you. I'm almost out of time. At least think about what I said, and don't mention any of it to Anandia or Eo. They'll kill me."

"No, they wouldn't. He'll understand that you've been manipulated by the Scholars."

"He'll _kill me_, Luigi. Please don't mention any of this to anyone."

"Alright, if you're that scared. Eo's a nice person, though. He wouldn't hurt you." Eo's energy shifted.

"He's back. I'm going to go train, Luigi. Isn't time for your training, too?" Daisy asked, standing up. Luigi stared at her for a moment, then nodded and walked over to his spear, Agnia. He mulled over what Daisy had told him as he walked out of the hideout, and over to Sahlan.

"Everything alright, Luigi?" Sahlan asked him.

"Yeah, fine." Luigi replied, holding his spear ready.

"Not today, Luigi." Sahlan said, raising his hands. He didn't have his spear. Luigi frowned in confusion. "Today, I'm going to teach you how to summon your weapon to you, no matter what world you are in."

"Oh." Luigi stood up straight. "So, what do I do?"

"First, throw your spear over there." He waved his arm, indicating the general area to his right. Luigi shrugged, and tossed his spear. "Now, this'll be much easier for you, since Agnia is your Soul Weapon, and you named it. You'll have a much deeper connection with it." Luigi nodded, though he wasn't sure what Sahlan meant. "Now, focus. Picture, in your mind, Agnia." Luigi closed his eyes. "No, don't close your eyes. Keep them open." Luigi snapped his eyes open again. "When you're about to fight, you won't have the chance to close your eyes and focus. You need to be able to summon Agnia instantly. So, picture Agnia." Luigi nodded, indicating that he had done so. "Now, focus entirely on that thought. Push it to the very front of your mind. Think of nothing else." Luigi frowned. "Yes, it is difficult. No doubt you're wondering what I'll tell you to do next? Well don't. Just Agnia. Think of Agnia. We'll stay here until you can think only of Agnia, and nothing else." He folded his arms.

--

Myst hefted the sword that Eo had given Daisy. It was heavy, but the perfect weight for her. It was long, but short enough for her to use effectively. It was a wide hand-and-a-half sword, meaning she could hold the handle with two hands or one. She gave it an experimental swipe and slash, hacking at a wooden dummy, and grinned. Perfect.

"I see you like it." Anandia said from behind her. Myst turned around. "It took me a while to get that for you."

"Let me guess... it's some form of magic weapon?"

"Only with you, if you want it to be. It won't work with Daisy, or your missing part. Only you, Myst, can use it effectively."

"What's so special about it? Or me, for that matter?"

"To anyone else, that sword would be just like any other hand-and-a-half. But, it is your Soul Weapon. When it was made, it was made just for you. Every being in existence has a Soul Weapon. Some of these are intentionally made for specific people, others just happen to work best, and magically, with certain people. That blade is your Soul Weapon. If you name it, it'll be even stronger."

"Name a sword?" Myst asked, frowning. "That's kinda weird. Then again, Luigi called his spear Agnia. Alright, I'll think of a name." However, she had already thought of a name as soon as she received the sword. She had named it Maldiard. "Anyway, I'd best get some training in. That sword that Pent gave me was useless."

"Of course." Anandia nodded. "A sword just useful enough to fight off his enemies, but not useful enough to threaten him or his Scholar allies. I have seen this several times."

"I see." Myst nodded gravely. "That's actually quite clever."

"Yes, the Scholars are sneaky like that. I will leave you to train, Legion. Farewell." Anandia teleported away. Myst could feel that she was far enough away so she could talk to someone, like Mitrea, without Anandia knowing. Myst jogged over to where Mitrea was stood watching Luigi.

--

"That's beter." Sahlan said. Luigi's thought trail didn't shift from Agnia. Only a tiny sliver of his conscious paid attention to what Sahlan was saying. "Now, picture Agnia in your hands. Just picture that, and nothing else." Luigi nodded. He managed it instantly. "Very good. Now, call to it. To put in simpler... picture, in your mind, you talking to Agnia, and Agnia responding like a person." Luigi frowned. He struggled with this image. He saw it eventually. "Good. Now, ask Agnia to come to you." Luigi did. He was sure he heard Agnia herself, not his mind making it, respond to him. "Order it." Luigi did. He found Agnia in his hands. "Very good."

"Will I have to do that every time I call Agnia? Because it'll be difficult and time consuming." Luigi asked.

"No. Throw it aside again." Luigi did so. "Now, let's start again. Picture Agnia." Luigi did so. "Picture it in your hands." Luigi did. "Call to it." Luigi called. "Order it to you." Luigi did, and again Agnia was in his hands. "Throw it away." Sahaln said again. Luigi obeyed. "Call to Agnia." Luigi tried, but didn't get a response. "That's okay. Picture it again." They went through picturing Agnia, then picturing it in Luigi's hands, calling to it, then ordering it to his hands. After about five turns, Luigi managed to call Agnia to him straight away. He simply called it to his hands, and it appeared. He smiled widely.

"Wow, that seems so easy now. It feels natural." He said, twirling Agnia in his hands.

"Quite. Now, throw it as far as you can." Sahlan told him. Luigi sighed, then hurled Agnia into the distance. It flew so far that it disappeared from view of the naked eye. "Good distance. Now summon it to you." Luigi did, and Agnia appeared in his hands instantly. "Excellent." Sahlan smiled. "Hand it here. I'll throw it even further." Luigi reluctantly obeyed, and Sahlan hurled it. "That's... not bad." Sahlan commented, holding a hand above his eyes, watching Agnia soar into the distance. "Okay, call it." Luigi did, and Agnia again appeared in his hands. "Spot on. Now, you should be able to call it from anywhere. One more try." He snatched the spear from Luigi, and held it tightly in his grip. "I know for a fact that you won't be able to pull Agnia from my hands with your own." Luigi knew this, too. "So, call it." Luigi did so. Agnia twisted in Sahlans' hands for a moment, but did not go to Luigi. "Ah." Sahlan nodded. "Thought so. Again, Luigi. Keep trying." Luigi kept trying.

--

"Stop telling me such lies!" Mitrea snapped.

"They are no lies." Myst said slowly. "Eo is evil. He destroys and enslaves worlds."

"No! He... okay, he _has_ done that. But, that was for the greater good!"

"No, defeating and imprisoning Eo is for the greater good."

"Stop it! Master Eo is good! The Scholars are evil! They locked me up! Put me to sleep!"

"They were scared. Eo was destroying worlds and peoples, and you were helping him. They didn't want to take any chances. Besides, the Scholars have changed now. Adia's a Scholar, right?"

"Yeah. She told Luigi to kill me. Luckily, Luigi didn't know I was the shapeshifter he was after."

"Right. Adia showed up there, didn't she?" Luigi had told her about this recently. Mitrea nodded. "Did she attempt to hurt you? Did she tell Luigi that you were the one? No. The Scholars were giving you a chance. They wanted to persuade you to either join them," Mitrea snorted. "Or not help Eo. They don't want to fight you any more. They're better people now."

"Yeah, right." Mitrea huffed. But, her eyes said that she believed Myst. Just a little. "Adia pretended to be friends with me."

"I think she really did want to be friends with you. So do I, for that matter. Daisy's still... a little sore about the thing with you and Luigi."

"Not happening, now." Mitrea denied. "One, because he never told me, so I'm not interested any more. Two, because I never try to steal someone away from their loved one."

"I'll tell her that." Myst said. "Eo's coming back. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him about this."

"Why? He won't do anything. You've been brainwashed by the Scholars. All he'll do is try and fix that."

"No, he'll think I'm a Scholar spy, and kill me instantly." Myst told her. Mitrea opened her mouth to speak, but Myst interrupted. "He will _kill_ me." She said firmly. "I'm going to get back to my training before he gets here. Don't. Tell. Him." She pointed at Mitrea, than dashed to the wooden dummy she was stood by earlier.

--

"Excellent!" Sahlan boomed. Agnia had completely disappeared from his hands for the seventh time. "You've definitely got it now."

"Agnia is... telling me something." Luigi muttered.

"You can talk to it, can you?"

"Seems like it. It... wants me to go back to my brother, with Daisy."

"Oh?" Sahlan frowned.

"Yeah. Its' saying that I've been tricked. Anyway. I'll... go get some rest, I think." Luigi turned and ran back to the hideout.

_That's strange._ Sahlan thought. _It should be weeks before he can talk to his Soul Weapon. Wonder how he managed it so soon?_

"Luigi!" Sahlan called. Luigi, who was just in front of the door, turned back. "When Anandia shows up, tell her I've gone scouting." With that, he teleported away.

**Lakitu**

Sahlan quickly told Lakitu about everything that had happened. Lakitu sat on his cloud, his eyes closed throughout Sahlans' report. Adia, who was sat beside Lakitu, simply stared at Sahlan with a neutral expression. The three were sat in Lakitus' study. Fionie was sat outside the room, scratching a picture onto the wall. Sahlan even told them about what had happened between Myst and Mitrea, since his well-trained ears had enabled him to hear them, even though they were round the other side of the building. When he had finished, he stood up and teleported away without another word. Lakitu opened his eyes, and looked at Adia.

"That coincides with your vision." He said to her. Adia nodded, remembering the vision she had had recently.

----

_Luigi was riding Mitrea, who was in the form of a horse. Above them, Night-Winged Daisy flew in the same direction. The three were wandering mercernaries, travelling between worlds looking for work. They preferred the term 'mercernary' to 'bounty hunters', though most of their work was bounty hunting. The trio was currently on a world that Adia didn't recognise, and were approaching a small village, that looked old and poor. Several buildings had been destroyed, as well as some farms nearby. Luigi, wearing plain blue leggings, a green shirt, and a green cloak, beckoned Daisy to the ground. She was wearing a short black skirt, tall black boots, and a black crop-top. Luigi dismounted Mitrea, who transformed into her red-haired elf form, wearing red leggings and shirt, and brown boots. They discussed whether or not their current target had passed by here. They all agreed that the target had. Luigi then spoke to Agnia, his spear, who seemed to confirm this. Luigi spoke quickly to the two girls. Daisy took flight again, and flew over the village, while Mitrea transformed back into a horse. Luigi mounted her, and she galloped to the village._

----

"Well, as long as none of them are working for Eo in the future, it's a blessing." Lakitu said slowly. "Though, I would prefer to see them back where they belong." Adia nodded in agreement. "I'm far more worried about the vision concerning Mario and Link." Adia shuddered, remembering.

----

_The word 'Titan' seemed to fit, as Link and Mario fought in some strange void. It seemed that the two had been fighting for many years, and neither showed signs of slowing, or even stopping. They fought furiously, parrying and deflecting each others' blows. Mario, with no moustache, and Link missing an eye. Adia had no idea how the two could have ended up like that. Was this really the most likely scenario? Did Link and Mario mistrust, or even hate, each other now? It couldn't be. Outside of the void, Maria, Eraf and Malon sat in a house somewhere in Hyrule, wondering when the two would emerge. Fionie and another baby were also present. Both children were perfectly normal. The baby was as any month-old should be, and Fionie was like any other two year old. There was an entrance to the void in the basement of the house, which the three girls checked daily. Maria was anxious to be one with Mario again, and Eraf and Malon were desperate to be with their lovers again._

----

"So, what do we do?" Adia asked. "I'm worried about what's going to happen to Fionie when she has to go back. I mean, her time still exists, somewhere, but what guarantee is there that she'll go there? She might end up somewhere else."

"No, the Void and TimeLines wouldn't make that mistake. She'll go back to her own time."

"Alright, if you say so. But, what can we do about Mario and Link? I'm sure Mitrea has been messing them about, somehow."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, she can transform into any creature, right? I'm pretty sure she could take the appearance of a mortal. Any mortal. Even Mario or Link. If she can, then she could go to the other, and fight them. Say they've joined Eo, and-"

"Wow." Lakitu gasped, interrupting Adia. "I never thought... Adia, get to the library. See if you can find anything that supports this. I'll ask Majora if he's ever seen anything like it." Adia nodded, and walked outside.

"Let's go, Fionie." She said. "And stop drawing on the frickin' walls!" She and Fionie walked away.

_Majora, I need to speak with you._ Lakitu called to his boyfriend.

_I'll be right there._ Majora replied, and appeared a moment later.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Majora, I have some questions about Mitrea." Lakitu said, leaning forward on his cloud. "Could she... mimic the appearance of someone?"

"Hm? You mean, transform into me, or you?" Lakitu nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen it happen... but, it should be possible. After all, she's a natural shapeshifter. She can transform naturally, not by a spell. I don't know for sure if she can or not. Want me to find out?"

"I've sent Adia to the Library to find out. I just wanted to ask if you'd seen it happen."

"Well, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"If she can, indeed, mimic someones' appearance, then it's possible that she's been turning Mario and Link against each other."

"Quite possible." Majora agreed. "I'll speak with Gaea. Maybe he knows." Majora teleported away. Lakitu sighed, then floated over to his bowl of sand.

_Is there any point in me looking into the future?_ He thought to himself. _Adia's only just looked a few hours ago. What could have changed? Then again, I believe Majora once mentioned that the sand shows different people different things. Yeah, I'll have a look._ He scooped a handful of sand from the bowl.

**Luigi**

Luigi sat on the bed in his room, thinking. Something didn't feel right. Somewhere inside his mind, a voice was telling him to not trust Eo. Two voices, in fact. One was his, the other was Agnia. Though, Eo had sounded so sincere when he had told Luigi that he was the good one, and the Scholars were evil. Then again, Luigi had been tricked before. And quite easily. He knew for a fact that he was quite gullible. But, Mitrea was a good person, and the Scholars had put her in an eternal sleep, despite her begging. Then again, if what Daisy had said about Eo was true, then it was a wise move. He knew that he wouldn't be willing to risk letting her go free, considering she had worked with Eo. But... Luigi shook his head. It was all so confusing. He wanted to trust Daisy. He loved her so much, and she had yet to lie to him. What if she had been tricked by the Scholars? Daisy was quite impressionable. But, if Eo was as evil as apparent, why hadn't he tricked her? Only one thing seemed to stick in his mind. Eo was trying to trick Mario and Link. Luigi loved Mario, as dearly as any man would love his brother. And he had a certain level of trust with Link, after what Daisy had said. It was clear that Mario and Link now had some form of friendship, and Eo was trying to destroy that. If he was as good as he claimed, why was he trying to trick Mario, and his friend, into fighting and possibly killing each other? Surely Eo would rather just keep them out of the way, or talk to them, and try to convince them he was on his side? And why had he Eo made Luigi attack Lakitu? Apparently, to confuse and slow down the Scholars. Everyone seemed to be trying to tell Luigi that he had been fooled. But, Eo was so good to him and Mitrea. At that moment, Mitrea appeared by his door.

"Luigi..." She said quietly. "We need to talk."

"Wh... what about?" Luigi asked. He thought that Mitrea wanted to talk about Daisy, and what had happened between him and Mitrea, or something.

"About Eo." She said. "Can I come in?" Luigi nodded. Mitrea walked over to him, and sat on his bed. "Just a minute." She said, frowning in concentration. Luigi knew what she was doing. Waiting for Eo to leave, so they could talk freely. "He's gone. Listen... I think that... Eo has fooled us. I think Eo fooled me all those years ago, and I think he fooled you, too. I don't know why, because I've loved and trusted him completely all my life. But now... I have doubts about him. What about you?"

"I've been feeling the same way. Daisy spoke to me earlier."

"Me, too."

"And I'm sure Sahlan has been trying to tell me, too. Even Agnia seems to be telling me that I've been tricked. I... don't know what to believe."

"I think, maybe..." Mitrea breathed deeply for a few moments. "Should we just stick with him, for now? Make up our own minds? If he does something bad, for no reason, then we'll leave. We'll have to bring Daisy, too."

"Yeah. We'll... do that." Luigi sighed. "I really hope I haven't been tricked again."

"Again?"

"Yeah, again. I've been tricked before, by bad guys. I'm a pretty gullible guy. I can't do anything about it, though. I always try so hard to see the good in people. I want to trust them."

"I know what you mean. Shall we talk to Daisy about it?"

"Yeah, let's-" He paused as he felt Eo return. Anandia appeared by the door.

"Luigi, I've heard something alarming." The shaman said

"What is it?" Luigi asked, trying to beat down the rising panic.

"The worlds have titled you."

"Titled me? What does that mean?"

"You have been given a title. All powerful beings have a title. Mitrea, for example, is called 'Shapeshifter'. Daisy is called 'Legion'. Adia is 'White Witch'."

"Okay... so, what's my title? And what's so alarming about it?"

"Your title... is Adjudicator." Anandia said with a sigh.

"And that means...?"

"That you will decide the fate of the worlds."

"What??" Luigi gasped, leaping to his feet. "W-why me?"

"Because... whether you choose to stay with me to the end, or side with the Scholars, will decide which side wins."

"I... I see." Luigi nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "Why would that be alarming? I am-"

"You're gullible. Easily deceived. If Lakitu, Adia, or any other Scholars should talk to you, they could easily win you over."

"What are you saying?" Luigi's eyes narrowed again, becoming thin slits on his face. Mitrea stood, and clung to his arm.

"You... regrettably... are a threat. And I can't have threats."

"Threat!" Luigi gasped. "How can you say that? I am loyal to you! The Scholars lie, I know that. I'll never believe a word they say!"

"Not a chance I'm willing to take. Also, if you go, then I'll lose Mitrea, too. I can't risk the two of you working against me."

"We never will." Mitrea said loudly. "Master, we won't betray you. Can't you just watch us, and pull us away from any Scholars trying to trick us?"

"No." Anandia growled. "You two must die. I cannot afford to take chances, when I'm so close to my goal. I _will_ rule all life!" She blasted a spell at Luigi. Mitrea shrieked. Luigi summoned Agnia to his hand, and cut the spell in two. "Sahlan taught you well. Perhaps he is a spy, if he has taught you to cut through my magic. I will deal with him later." She fired another spell. Luigi cut through this. "You are powerful, Adjudicator. I will miss having you as my minion." With that word, something snapped inside Luigi.

"Agnia!" He cried, pointing the spear at Eo. Fire burst from the tip, engulfing Eo. "Mitrea." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You taught me well, too, Eo." He said, then teleported away, taking Mitrea with him.

--

Outside, Daisy had felt the battle, and felt Luigi teleport away. She smiled, then teleported herself back to Castle Reglais.

--

Sahlan, on the world of Koholint, grinned to himself. Luigi had finally decided to fight the good fight. He made his excuse to the warrior he was speaking with, then teleported to the Scholar University.

**Lakitu**

Lakitu pulled himself back to reality. He hadn't seen the future this time. He had seen something else, and it made him sweat, breathless, and his heart beat fast.

"Majora!" He gasped. "Majora!" A shriek. Majora appeared in front of him.

"What is it??" The Shaman asked, looking panicked. "What happened?"

"Luigi!" Lakitu said, trying to catch his breath. "He's... left Eo. Along with Mitrea. Daisy is back in Castle Reglais, and Sahlan is in the University. Things are finally getting better!"

"Really?!" Majora cried, eyes widening. "Brilliant!" But, Lakitu frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Luigi has a title now. Adjudicator."

"Adj... he's going decide our fates?" Majora asked, staring at Lakitu. "How?"

"There are three options, as far as I can see. If he sides with Eo, Eo will win outright. That's out of the question, thanks to Eo. If he sides with us, we'll win outright."

"And... the third?"

"You know the visions we've been having? Where Eo rules, but there are resistance groups against him, spies in his inner circle and whatnot?"

"Yes..."

"That will happen, if Luigi chooses neither side."

"Oh. Still... it is better than Eo winning. There will still be a chance."

"Yes." Lakitu sighed. "Things are certainly looking up for us. Send someone to find Luigi, and bring him back to us. I'd rather have a happily-ever-after, than a to-be-concluded future."

"Right. I'll get right on it." Majora teleported. Sahlan burst through the door.

"Boss!" He cried. "Boss, Lui-"

"I know. The sand just showed me."

"But..." Sahlan frowned. "It's only just happened. Why would the sand show you the present, when you can easily see it yourself?"

"I have a theory, but no more. I think the sand showed me it, a second before it happened, making it the future. It also showed me so I could see the possible outcomes of this."

"...which are?" Sahlan asked, walking toward Lakitu. Lakitu took a breath, and explained.

**Daisy**

Daisy didn't exactly get a warm welcome when she walked into Castle Reglais. She was wrestled to the ground by Erk, and had a spell aimed at her by Nino.

"You'd better have a damn good reason." Nino growled. "For leaving us. And an even better one for daring to come back."

"Can I- ow." Daisy winced in the arm-lock that Erk held her with. "Can you loosen your grip, Erk? It hurts so bad, I can hardly think straight." Erk frowned, but loosened his grip. "I went to see whether or not Luigi had joined Eo, and to try and convince him to come back."

"And?" Mario's voice asked, as Mario himself walked from around a corner.

"He's left Eo. He hasn't come back to us, yet, but he's not on Eo's side."

"Let her up, Erky." Nino said, cancelling her spell. "Let's go see Lord Pent." She turned, and walked in the direction of Pents' room. Erk gently pulled Daisy to her feet, and the pair followed Nino.

--

"Yes, Lakitu has just informed me." Pent said when Daisy explained the situation. "He's sent someone to try and convince Luigi to join us."

"Do you know where he is?" Daisy asked. Pent shook his head. "Oh. I know that he's with Mitrea, but that's it."

"Eo might come here. It's possible he'll assume that Luigi and Mitrea are here, and come to kill them."

"So..." Mario sighed. "We should get ready to fight." He withdrew his Fairy Sword, and stared at it. "I'm going to go train with Maria." He left the room.

"We'll prepare, too." Nino said. "Mario's going to need help." She grabbed Erk's arm, and dragged him from the room, leaving only Daisy and Pent. Adia appeared as soon as the door closed.

"Daisy!" She said happily, throwing her arms around her. "Thank goodness you're back." She stepped back, smiling widely, and started swaying. "I knew you'd never join Eo." She turned to Pent. "Eo's preparing for an assault on your castle, Pent. I think this will be the penultimate battle."

"Yes, we figured as such." Pent nodded. "Everyone's gone to prepare. Daisy, you should go prepare, too. You're going to be involved, too, I'd wager. Right, Adia?"

"Yeah." Adia grinned, still swaying. "Master says there's gonna four heroes this time. Go on, Daisy. I'll see you later." Daisy nodded and left.

"So, is there anything you need me for?" Pent asked Adia.

"Hm... not really. More than anything, I wanted to see Daisy again. Just wanted to warn you to be careful, and try to make the fight last a while."

"Why?"

"We need to synch it. We need to teleport both halves of Eo at the same time, and Link and Nerra aren't ready yet."

"I see. I'll do what I can."

"Thanks." Adia teleported away.

**Luigi**

Luigi looked around. He was back on Earth, in his and Marios' apartment. Mitrea, next to him, tugged his sleeve.

"What now?" She asked.

"I dunno." Luigi sighed. "I'm gonna get some pizza, and think about this. You hungry?"

"What's pizza?"

"Food. Wanna try some?"

"Um... sure." Mitrea followed Luigi to the kitchen. "Should we risk going back to the Scholars? They might not trust us."

"That's what I'm not sure about." Luigi told her, taking a pizza out of the freezer. "Like I said, I'm gonna think about it." He turned the oven on. "Go sit in the living room. The pizza'll be a while yet." Mitrea nodded, and left the kitchen. Luigi sighed, running his hands down his face. "Can I face my brother again, after what me and Mitrea did?" He asked himself.


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Mario**

"Yes!" Mario sighed happily. He had successfully cast Elfire four times in a row. "I think I've got it."

"Same here." Maria said, having achieved the same as Mario. The two were with Erk and Nino, in the Aura Room.

"Good." Erk said. "Now, let's move on to Fimbulvetr. We've gotta learn fast; Eo's on his way. Get the tomes." Mario and Maria walked over to the table, and picked up the Fimbulvetr tomes. "Read, quick."

"No need to remind us." Maria sighed. Eraf, in the corner, was gathering as much magic energy as she could. Daisy, in the other corner, was practising a Light magic spell; Luce. She should have been learning Divine, as it was the next spell in a Monk or Priestesses' education, but Daisy and Nino decided that she needed to learn more powerful spells.

"I've never done Luce before." Daisy admitted, reading through the tome. It was confusing. "I started on Divine before I went back to Sarasa Land, but..." She turned the page. "This is hard." She shut the book, marking the page with a finger, and attemped to cast Luce. She failed, and sighed. "Man..." She looked through the book again. "What's all this crap? 'Though divinity is with us, the aura of dark swells around us. Casting it aside draws forth Luce, shedding light upon all'. That doesn't tell me how to cast the spell!" She growled, and tried again.

"This is me not caring." Nino said. "Just learn, and quick."

"I know." Daisy groaned. "Luce!" She snapped, attempting the spell again. "Dammit." She looked back at the tome. " 'Cast aside all darkness, even that of failure. The divinity within you must be allowed to shine forth'. Frickin-" She kicked the wall. "Talk Engrish."

"It's simple." Nino said patiently. "Stop getting pissed off, and focus on your magical energy."

"Feh." Daisy growled. "Why can't Vahlia help me out, too?" Meanwhile, Mario and Maria were attempting Fimbulvetr.

"This is... tough." Maria muttered. "But, it feels like it should be easier." She tried the spell again. Oddly, a snowball appeared on her hand. "That's useful." She muttered, melting then evaporating it with a Fire spell. Mario wasn't have much better luck. All he could manage was making his hand very cold.

"C'mon, guys." Erk sighed. "It's not that hard. You need to thrust the cold _out_ of your hand. Not hold it there, like with Fire and Thunder. _Throw_ the cold forward." Maria tried this, and ended up throwing a snowball at the wall. "Not cold enough. Not stormy enough. C'mon, get with it. I don't have time to be patient and talk you through it."

"We know!" Mario and Maria snapped. They scowled at him, and tried again. "Fimboo-something." Mario snapped, the last part turning into a sigh. "I can't even pronounce it."

"Fim. Bull. Vell. Tray." Erk said slowly.

_When you feel cold. you try to get away from it. Try to be somewhere where the cold isn't._ Vahlia whispered in his mind. _Try to keep the cold away from you when you cast the spell. Now, I think I should offer Legion some advice._ Mario felt Vahlia's presence leave.

"Fimbulvetr!" Mario cried. A small gust of icy wind shot from his hand.

"Better!" Erk said. "Keep at it."

"What'd you do?" Maria asked Mario. Mario repeated what Vahlia had told him. "Oh." Maria tried the spell again, and had the same result as Mario. "Cool."

**Link**

"Alright, Link." Sonic said to him. "Lakitu just showed up a minute ago. We need to teach you how to use the emeralds."

"Right." Link nodded. Link, Sonic, Shadow and Amy were in the back garden of Sonics' house.

"Okay, take this green one." He handed it to Link. Sonic held the blue emerald, Shadow the red, and Amy the purple. "It's difficult, drawing just a little bit of energy from just one emerald. The easiest thing to do is drain as much as you can from the lot. That, though, makes you go Super. Or Hyper, in Shadows' case. For... some reason." He nodded to Shadow, who shrugged. "Anyway. You can use the emeralds to make yourself faster, stronger, smarter... whatever. You can also use them to temporarily slow down, or even freeze, time. You can use them to teleport, or fire energy bolts. Pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah." Link agreed, eager to learn.

"Okay. There's no real easy way to explain it, so... bear with me." Link nodded. He was just glad that these emeralds weren't like Fire Flowers; 'just use them'. As he thought that, he wondered what happened to the Fire and Ice Flowers he had been given, when he fought Eo last time. "Link, pay attention." Sonics' voice brought him back. "Right... um... emeralds... they contain energy. I'm sure you're used to feeling the energy in something."

"Uh-huh." Link said, remembering the Power Stars. Were the Chaos Emeralds similar to those?

"Right, well... try and... feel the energy in your emerald." Link already could. There was alot.

"Link, you're feeling the power." Shadow said. "Feel the _energy_." He walked over to Link, and held his hand in front of him, clutching his emerald. "_Show him_." He said in an odd voice. The red emerald glowed. Link felt something in his mind, and he suddenly understood.

"Ohh, right." He nodded. "Energy. I get it." He felt for the energy of his green emerald, and found it. "There we go. Wow, that's... different."

"Yeah." Sonic agreed. "Okay, so you can feel the energy. Now... try and... touch it, with your mind." Link closed his eyes, reaching for the energy. He found it was just out of his reach.

"I.. .can't. I can only get so close." He told Sonic.

"Is that... okay?" Sonic asked Shadow. "I mean, he's not from this world, so..."

"It's fine." Shadow assured him. "Link, just keep trying. The emerald has to learn to trust you." Link sighed, and tried again. After about ten goes, Link felt like the energy was closer. One time, he almost touched it, but it shrank away from him. Eventually, twenty-odd goes later, Link finally touched the energy.

"Done it!" He said happily. The energy of the Chaos Emeralds was... strange. Despite the huge amount of energy and power, the emeralds were perfectly calm and ordered. Not like the Spiritual Stones, which Link had seen in the Temple of Time. Those things were _crazy_ with power.

"Good." Sonic sighed happily. "Now, try and take a little bit. If the emerald panics, or smthn..." He barely mumbled the last word. "Tell it you're just borrowing. And be nice."

"Right." Link reached into the emerald again. Indeed, he felt the energy panic. He quickly said he was just borrowing, and trying to learn how to use the energy so he could fight the Evil One. The emerald reluctantly allowed him to have some of its' energy. "Got some."

"Okay. Try and... slow down time." Sonic said. "Chaos Control is what you need to say. Say 'Chaos Control', and wish for the energy you have to slow down time."

"Ohh... kay..." Link frowned. It sounded simple enough. "Chaos Control." He exerted his will into the energy, asking it to slow down time. He wasn't sure if it had worked. "Did it work?"

"Ssppeeaaakkk.... sssllloooowwwweeerrr." Sonic drawled in a deep voice. Then, he smiled. Very slowly. "Try and caancel the eenergyy." He spoke much quicker that time, as though he himself was speaking quickly, so Link could understand. Link nodded, and willed the energy to stop. "Well done." Sonic said in a normal voice. "Easy, right?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Okie dokey. This time, Shadow, the expert, will try to slow down time. You try and use your emerald to either stop it, or speed time back up."

"I'll try." Link said. Sonic nodded to Shadow, who gripped his emerald. Link quickly took some energy from his green emerald. It wasn't as resistant this time. Shadow cried 'Chaos Control'. At first, Link thought nothing had happened. He could still move normally. Then he noticed Shadow was jogging on the spot, moving alot quicker than he should do. Sonic was also jogging on the spot, at a normal speed. Link raised his own emerald, wished for time to return normal, and said; "Chaos Control!" He wished with all his might. Shadow went back to normal speed.

"He did it." Shadow told Sonic. "He's got good control. Not surprising, since Lakitu said he's handled magic before." Sonic and Amy nodded in agreement. "Now, Link, to use Chaos Spear. It's essentially attacking enemies with energy bolts. It's also the only time you have to say something other than 'Chaos Control'. It's the same as before, except you're wishing for energy bolts to attack us. All three of us. Don't worry, we'll be using our Chaos Emeralds to shield ourselves."

"R... right." Link said, focussing. "Chaos Spear!"

**Nerra**

Nerra opened her eyes, and looked around, her head pounding. She recognised that she was in Tails' lab. She sat up, and felt a jolt of pain in her back. Then she remembered that her wings had been ripped off by the crystal harpy.

"You're awake." Robotniks' voice said from behind her. "Good to see. We didn't even need Lakitu." Nerra turned to look at him. "Anything hurt?"

"My back. Where my wings used to be." Nerra said bitterly. "And my head."

"Not surprising, considering the fall you had. Everything else okay, though?" He asked. Nerra nodded. "Good. We don't know what we should do with your wings. We considered putting them back on surgically, but we weren't sure how your body would react."

"Where are my wings?"

"Over there." Robotnik pointed to some form of glass cupboard. "We're keeping them... well, fresh. In case you need them. Shadow brought them back." Nerra stood up, somewhat shakily, and shuffled over to her wings, tears forming in her eyes. "Any ideas... how we can re-attach them?"

"No." She sniffed. "I've never had my wings cut off before. I don't know what to do." She thought for a moment, then remembered that she had other forms. Perhaps, if she transformed into one of those, her wings would return? Or at least, would she have wings in that form? The only form that sprang to mind was Star-Wing. She transformed. Her hair became dotted with spots, almost like glitter. Her wings, in the glass cabinet, did the same. Nerra sighed. She only had the one pair of wings. But, at least they were still attached to her in some way. "Can you take one out?" She asked Robotnik. He nodded, and did so. "Hold it against my back. Maybe it'll re-attach itself." Robotnik did this. Nothing happened. "No... maybe if I change?" She changed back to Night-Wing. The wing didn't re-attach itself. Nerra sighed again, and cried afresh.

"Lakitu will know. He always shows up when-"

"Me this time!" A sweet voice said from behind them. The pair turned and saw Adia. "Don't worry, I know what to do. Dunno if it'll work, though. Come over here, Nerra, and bring your wings." Nerra obeyed, and Adia took them from her, examining the base of them. "Gah, Chaos Energy. Stopping them from healing properly. Robie, get me a Chaos Emerald, and someone who can use them."

"Right." Robotnik left the lab.

"If I'm right, all I need to do is remove the Chaos Energy from your wings and back, and they should put themselves back on. Problem is, only a Chaos Emerald can remove Chaos Energy. Even Master can't do it, with all his power. Even Gaea can't." She frowned. "Pretty clean cut." She commented. "Ooh, sorry. That was a bad thing to say."

"It's okay." Nerra sighed.

"They'll feel stiff, if this works. You might need to work them a little." Adia told her. Nerra nodded. "Do they still change when you do?" Nerra nodded again. "Good. They're not completely severed, then. If they were, then we wouldn't be able to do a thing." Robotnik came back with Knuckles, who was holding the yellow emerald. "Wow, Knucks. Didn't know you could use Chaos Energy."

"Hey, I protect the Master Emerald. Of course I can." Knuckles said, sounding offended.

"Okay, sorry. Didn't mean to upset you."

"No problem. What do I have to do?"

"Um... the grey emerald would have been better, but oh well. Any other'll do fine. Just use the emerald to remove all the Chaos Energy from Nerra and her wings."

"I'll try." Knuckles said, gripping the yellow emerald tighter and closing his eyes. "No." He said, almost straight away. "The grey emerald is the control emerald. Only that one can do it."

"Oh. Well, go fetch." Adia sighed. Knuckles nodded, left, and returned a moment later with the grey emerald. He tried again. Suddenly, Nerra's wings yanked themselves from Adia's hands, and fixed themselves onto Nerra's back.

"Yay!" Nerra cried, flapping her wings. Then, she winced. "Oww... stiff, like you said." She flapped them a little more gently, rolling, folding and curling them, wincing all the while. She twisted them this way and that, folded them against her back, and spread them wide. Obviously doing wing exercises. "Someone taught me to do this, after they rescued me. I was... trapped, somewhere. I hadn't use my wings for a long time. He taught me these exercises, which I do every morning. Keeps them flexible and strong." She smiled, the stiffness evidently wearing off. "An hour when I wake up, half an hour before I go to sleep." She added. "Helps alot."

"Wouldn't know." Adia said. "I don't have wings. Wish I did, though." She sighed, staring wistfully at Nerra's wings. "Well, everything seems fine here. I'll be off." She teleported away. Meanwhile, Nerra ran excitedly around the room, flapping her wings, like a happy little girl.

"Those wings obviously mean alot to her." Knuckles said, smiling.

"Obviously." Robotnik agreed. "We'd probably do the same, if we lost an arm then got it back."

"Mm. Probably."

**Malon**

Malon sat in her room, watching Link training in the back garden. He was throwing spears of energy at Sonic, Shadow and Amy, and shielding from their spears. She had decided that she would do something to help, to. It was painfully obvious to her that Eo had taken her baby, and she planned to have revenge. She stroked her flat stomach, yearning for her child.

"Malon." Mighty said from the door. Malon turned to look at him. He had the cyan emerald in his hand. He strode over to her, and held the emerald out. "Here." He dropped it onto her lap. Malon picked it up, staring confusedly at him. "Your baby was stolen by Eo. No doubt you want revenge, and I plan to let you have it. What Eo did is wrong, and it's only right that you punish him for that." He looked deadly serious, almost angry. Malon wondered if a similar thing had happened to him.

"Um... thank you, Mighty."

"You're welcome. Stand up, and I'll teach you how to use the emeralds." Mighty said, taking a step back from the bed. Malon nodded and stood up. "First, you need to learn how to feel the energy."

"Uhm... how do I do that?"

"Oh... you've never used any sort of mystical energy before?"

"Mystical energy?" Malon asked, thinking. She wondered if Power Stars would count. "Do you know what Power Stars are?"

"Uh, no..." Mighty frowned in thought. "Someone might have mentioned them before, though."

"Hold on, I'll give it a shot." She closed her eyes, remembering how she handled the Power Stars. She reached her mind into the jewel in her hand. Something was there. It froze in shock, then slowly backed away.

_It's okay._ Malon told it. _I won't hurt you._

_You couldn't if you tried._ The thing, obviously the emerald itself, replied. Though, it sounded scared. _What do you want with me, Destined Mother?_

_Destined... what?_

_No matter. Just tell me what you want with me._

_I... need to use your energy, so I can avenge my unborn child._

_Ah, the stolen baby. The Dark Daughter. Yes, I understand your cause. I will allow you._

_Um... thanks. Why did you call my baby The Dark Daughter?_

_Pay it no mind. It is for the future, not for now. _

_So... I'll get my baby back?_

_I... we cannot see that. _The emerald seemed to frown. _Enough. You wish to learn how to use my energy. I will assist you. The Dark Daughter must survive._

_Why?_

_Ignore it for now. You must learn._

"Malon?" Mightys' voice snapped her back to reality. "You okay? You zoned out."

"No, I'm fine. I can feel the energy."

"Alright, good. So, let's start learning. First..."

**Adia**

Adia paced her room, lost in thought. She completely ignored Fionie, who was sat on her bed trying to talk to Adia. Fionie frowned angrily, annoyed that she was being ingored.

"Miss Adia!!" She sighed loudly. "Listen to me!" Adia continued to ignore her, her thoughts drowning all outside noise. Her main thought was of Fionie. What was her role? Why had she been brought here, and for what purpose? Adia knew that the final battle was drawing near, but Fionie still hadn't done what she had been sent to do. Adia wished she knew what Fionies' role was in this time. A sharp poke in her side snapped her back to reality.

"Yes?" She squeaked, the poke half-tickling her.

"Jeez, I've been yelling at you for like, ever!" Fionie huffed.

"Oh? Well, what d'you want?"

"I wanted to ask you what I'm supposed to be doing here. Teacher said I had a new destiny, but I haven't done anything yet. Have I?"

"I don't know, Fionie. I was trying to figure out what you were here for."

"Oh..." Fionie sighed. "Sorry. I'll not disturb you. Can I... go for a walk?"

"Sure, I guess." Adia said, sinking straight back into her thoughts. Fionie groaned, and left the room. Adia thought about what Fionie had done so far. Surely, there must be something that she had done, or said, that suggested what she had to do.

_Let's see... She's met Bowser, which she never got to do. She toured the University, which is destroyed in her time. She's befriended me, she's assured us we'll succeed. What else? I can't think of anything..._ She growled, and stomped her foot. A small, minute purple haze erupted from the bottom of her foot. Adia disregarded it completely for a moment. She continued to think of the possible role Fionie could have. Then she turned her thoughts back to the purple haze. _Energy... _She thought. In her anger, Adia had accidentally released some of her magical energy from her foot. _Fionie... could shift the energy in this time? Is it possible? Energy can mean... physical, emotional, mental, magical... it can also mean someones' path. Energy controls alot more than just the body. A single persons' energy can change the tide of fate... or keep it on a certain path. Hold on..._

"Fionie could... change the future? She knows what the future is like. She's from the future we keep seeing, after all. Maybe she's been sent back here to stop it from happening?"

"A little optimistic, aren't we?" Lakitu's warm voice sounded. Adia sighed, and turned around. Lakitu floated by the door.

"I was just trying to think what Fionies' role was. The way you said that sounds like you already know what it is. Do you?"

"I believe so. Although, I did kind of steal it from you." Lakitu said with a smile, floating over to her. "Fionie isn't going to stop her future from happening. She's going to _make it happen_." His smile fell a little, and panic shot through Adia.

"No way... is there anything we can do to stop it?"

"I'm not sure. We _could_ try to force her back to her own time, and change the path ourselves. But, it's really not a good idea to mess with the timelines."

"Are you sure that this is Fionies' purpose? Isn't there anything else?"

"Not that I can think of." Lakitu said slowly. "I've thought of some other possibilities, but this is the most likely."

"Yes, Master." Adia groaned. "I just wish that it wasn't so."

"As do I, and the rest of us. We even held a meet."

"You did? Why wasn't I there?"

"You're Fionies' babysitter, and not a full-fledged Scholar. Although, I have plans to change that soon. I'm sorry, Adia, but University rules do say that only Scholars can attend meets."

"I know, I know." Adia rubbed her forehead. "But... it doesn't feel right."

"Fionies' role?"

"Yeah. If the future, _her_ future, sent her back, surely it would be to ensure a better future?"

"No. Only a resident of that future would do that. The TimeLines like to ensure their own future survives the past."

"I see."

"The TimeLines are complex, and intricate. No offence, but they're like females. It's impossible to understand how they work."

"None taken." Adia said with a small smile. "It still feels wrong, though. I'm sure she has a different reason for being here. Where is... our Fionie?"

"The unborn one? I haven't found her yet. Something seems to be covering her aura and energies. So, I think we'll have to assume the worst."

"Eo has her."

"Exactly."

"No doubt to raise her into a warrior for his world. Using his own dark magic to grow, strengthen, and control her."

"Yes. I know you like her, Adia. It seems you really like her in the future, too. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do a thing about it. I can't face Eo directly. It has to be the Heroes." He patted the pale girl on the shoulder. Adia didn't reply; she remained silent, with a slight frown on her face. "Adia, I am sorry. Are you okay? Adia?"

"Dark... magic..." Adia mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"Master. Bring Fionie to me right now. I have an idea."

"An idea? Something that might suggest she has a different role? A different destiny to what I say she has?"

"Yes, Master."

"Adia, I said I've exhausted every possibility. There isn't anything-"

"Bottle up your ego!" Adia snapped. "You're only mortal. Mortal error, remember? Missing something because we aren't looking? Maybe you missed something! Bring her, now!"

"Jeez, alright." He closed his eyes. A moment later, Fionie appeared in the room.

"Who-what-whuh?" Fionie looked around. "I was halfway through a sammich!" She whined.

"The correct word is 'sandwich', dear." Lakitu corrected her. "Anyway, Adia wants you for something."

"What do you want, Miss Adia?" Fionie asked, sounding a little irritated.

"I want to scan you, Fionie. All you have to do is relax and stay still." Adia said.

"Fine. But, when you're done, take me right back to my sammich."

"Whatever." Adia started the magical scan. As she scanned Fionies' body, her essence, her mind, her magic, her energy, Adia found what she was looking for. What everyone _knew_ was there, but had overlooked. It was overlooked because she had always had it, apparently. Dark magic. Eos' magic, fused into her body. Adia stopped the scan.

"Find anything?" Lakitu asked, his perfectly neutral.

"Yeah. Dark magic."

"We all know that, Adia. Eo put dark magic in... oh." He grinned. "My dear, you're a genius."

"Push at that barrier harder, Master. I'd bet my entire University tuition fees that there isn't an ounce of dark magic in her."

"You got it." He teleported away.

"Sammich now?" Fionie asked. Adia nodded, and sent her back to where-ever Lakitu had plucked her from. As soon as she was sure she was alone, Adia broke out into a huge grin, and giggled happily.

"I proved Master wrong! Wow!" She squealed. She coughed lightly, and composed herself. "Let's go see Ganny." She teleported.

**Ganondorf**

"Hiii!" A sweet voice cried. Ganondorf and Nerra, who were stood in the living room, turned to face the owner of the voice, Adia. "Where is everyone?"

"Training." Ganondorf replied. "We're celebrating Nerra's health, and restored wings. Thank you for that, Adia."

"No problem. Now I need a favour."

"Sure. What can we do for you?"

"Just you, Ganny. I need to you to scan the area for dark magic."

"Why? We all know there's some there."

"Yes, yes, I know." Adia smiled. "Just do it, please?"

"Sure. Dark magic?"

"Yup. Biggest lot you can find."

"That'd be Eo. I actually only just picked up his energy this morning. He hid it well, but for some reason, he's stopped doing that."

"He's getting excited, and careless. Sense, Ganny, sense."

"Yeah, yeah." Ganondorf concentrated for a moment. The immense black aura, that was obviously a small trickle of its true essence, pulsed strongly in his mind. "Got it."

"Wow, fast. Must be huge. Alright, can you go through it? Below, above, around, whatever?"

"Why?"

"I wanna know if there's another bundle of dark energy, somewhere within or around it."

"Alright." Ganondorf nodded, and focused more. He swam through the hazy black cloud, feeling for another, smaller, essence. There was nothing. He swam around more, sending his senses further into the cloud, spanning them wider. Still nothing. The only aura here was Eo. No-one else. Ganondorf knew that no matter how overwhelming an aura is, it's easy to find another within it. They stick out. Like spotting a speck of white among a sheet of black. But, there was no other aura or essence here. Wait, there was.

_Why is it so small?_ Ganondorf wondered. _Ah, a child. A baby. No, not even that. An unborn elf child. Barely out of the fetal stage. No wonder I almost missed it. This must be what Adia mentioned. Wait... this essence... I've sensed it before. When I learned Malon was pregnant, I scanned the babys' energy. This is _exactly_ it. So, Eo really did take Malons' child. Oh, dark aura. That's what Adia wanted me to look for. Well, there's none in the baby. It's still neutral._ Ganondorf pulled himself from the black cloud, and back into reality.

"Well?" Adia asked.

"Nothing. I could sense Malons' unborn child, but she has no dark aura."

"_Yes!_" Adia cried.

"Yes?" Ganondorf frowned.

"Oh, sorry. Bad time. Is the baby still alive?"

"Yes. Growing normally."

"And you say she has _no_ dark aura or energy? At all?"

"None whatsoever."

"How'd you penetrate so easily?" Adia asked. "Even Master has difficulty."

"No offense to Lakitu, but I have far more experience with dark auras. I can navigate them with ease. Eo didn't even know I was snooping." He smiled proudly. "Anyway. Malons' child fine, without so much as a drop of dark energy in her."

"That's good. Thanks, Ganny. See ya later!" Adia teleported away.

**Eo**

Eo, the Quezacotl, sighed. This cursed baby, with its cursed kicking, was really starting to get on its nerves.

_Why must this irritating elf-child be the perfect candidate?_ It growled to itself. _I daren't infuse it with dark magic yet. It might warp beyond a useful form. Alas, I must let it grow stronger first. If only it would hurry._ It curled up, and poked its' stomach with it nose. It spoke to the unborn child. _Give up this futile resistance, child. You cannot escape me. And even if you did, you would die within minutes._

_I am not attempting escape, vile one._ The baby replied. _I am merely making you as uncomfortable as I can. As I said, you _will_ be punished. If not by my father, then by me._ Eo was sure the baby was grinning to itself. _You _will_ be punished._

_Stop repeating that line! I will force you to serve me! You cannot kill yourself, you have neither the strength or ability. I will let you grow, then take over your mind and body. You will be my slave, obeying my every command._

_You assume too much. Never assume you have succeeded until the moment of success has passed. Has no-one ever told you that, Da-_

_Silence!_ Eo snapped, and severed the connection. _Dammit. Mind-linking with this child is dangerous. She's learning my secrets. What if she remembers them when she is born? Someone could learn them from her. I'll just have to make sure she doesn't remember._

_And how will you manage that? _The baby's voice echoed in his mind. Eo growled. _This mind-linking is fun. I am pleased that I have learned to do it myself. Though I hate to say this, you have taught me much._

_Begone, nuisance!_ Eo roared, trying to block the voice.

_If you recall, I swore you would be punished. Here it is._

_No! Stop this at once, or I'll kill you!_

_Kill your perfect warrior? You would not dare. You have said yourself that I am the perfect candidate for this. My life is secure._

_Dammit! Get out of my mind!_

_This is your punishment, Da-_

_NO!!! Never say, or even _think_ that name! My name is _EO!!!

_But, it is not. Why discard your true name? If I tell you my true name, will you allow me to call you by yours?_

_If you tell me your true name, I will have complete control over you. Why would you make such an offer?_

_Because then others will be able to learn your true name, and be able to control you. The thought excites me._

_Then, I will have to refuse._

_Well, I suppose it is just as well._

_Why do you say that?_

_I have not yet decided on my true name._

_Unborn creatures decide their own true name?_

_We do. But none remember. Nor will I. Someone, somewhere, will know. But I will not._

_When I take over your mind, I will rip it from you._

_That will not work. The name will leave my mind until I am told it once more. You cannot take a true name from a persons' mind. If it were so easy, then most all life would be slaves. _The smugness in the babys' voice irritated Eo.

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Sorry I took so long to update. My girlfriend has been visiting, and I've had some emotional issues recently, and I've been ill for almost a month. As I'm sure you can all tell, the story is drawing to a close. The final battle is dawning. Don't make any assumptions about the ending, though. I still haven't thought it through properly, it's still quite open. In fact, I'm kinda looking forward to the ending myself XD.

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	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**Luigi**

"Have you decided?" Mitrea asked Luigi. Luigi sighed in response, and walked over to the shapeshifter, who stood next the living room door.

"Kind of, I guess." He said slowly. "I can't face Mario or Link after what I've done. So, I'm just going to stay away from them until it blows over."

"You know they're going to fight Master, in his fortress, at some point. Will you help them?"

"Probably. If I can get there."

"I can get you there, I think. Mas... Eo mentioned that his fortress is stuck somewhere in the Void. I can get there, and I can take you, so we should be able to find it."

"Right. For now, I'm gonna stay away from both of them. They probably hate me. I'll give them time to calm down, and maybe I'll help out, if we can find Eo's fortress." Luigi sighed, and Mitrea held his hands in hers.

"They shouldn't hate you." She said quietly. "It was my fault. I'm the one who deceived them. If we tell them that, then they'll trust you again."

"I'm not going to let them hate you, instead of me." Luigi shook his head, gripping her hands tightly. "We may not be a couple, but I'm gonna stay with you. It's not fair to have everyone hate you, for no real reason."

"But..."

"No buts. We'll lie low for a while. I'm still not sure if I trust the Scholars, either. After all, they _did_ use me to destroy you."

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Yes, Daisy explained that to me. Still, it makes me angry." As if on cue, someone magically appeared on the other side of the sofa. It was a human man, tall with short blonde hair. He wore a long black coat, which covered his entire body.

"Oh, dear." The man said. He looked around. Upon seeing Mitrea and Luigi, he smiled. "Ah, there you two are! My boss sent me to find you."

"Who is your boss?" Luigi asked suspiciously.

"I must apologise for my rude entrance. I hadn't realised you were in your home. I simply followed your energy. If I had known-"

"Stop yammering, and tell me who your boss is."

"Now, now, it's not polite to interrupt."

"It's not polite to enter someones home uninvited."

"Well, I already explained and apologised for that." The man started frowning. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Charlan. A pleasure to meet you."

"Hi. Now, who's your boss?"

"You know him, surely? Sir Lakitu?"

"Ah. That turtle."

"He is a tortoise, actually. Regardless, my boss wants you two to come to the Scholar University, and help us all fight Eo."

"Both of us?" Mitrea asked. "Do they trust me now?"

"Not entirely, I'm afraid. The best Sir Lakitu can offer is to overlook your past crimes if you help us." Charlan sighed. "Personally, I think we should overlook them completely. One of my family was forced to work for Eo, too. I understand, to some degree, what you went through." Luigi and Mitrea twitched. It sounded like Charlan was trying to win them over with cheap words, like Eo had said the Scholars did.

"Sorry, Charlan." Luigi said to him. "But we still don't fully trust the Scholars. They've tricked and used me, and they've treated Mitrea poorly. You'll understand that we need more time to think about it."

"I'm afraid time is the one luxury we're running out of at the University. I must insist that you come with me."

"Surely you won't try and force us?"

"If it comes to that. You don't understand how important it is that you help us."

"I do. I'm the Adjudicator. I decide who wins. For now, I will stay on neither side. Eo tried to kill me, and the Scholars tried to use me. I don't trust either of you."

"But, if you remain neutral, then-"

"Oh, shut up. You're just trying to talk me into doing what you want."

"I assure you, that is not my desire. I just want the best for everyone. Miss Mitrea, please. Don't you understand? We don't want Eo to win. Which surely he will if you don't join us."

"Give us time, Charlan." Luigi said, stepping in front of Mitrea. "We need time to work out how we feel about the Scholars. We'll come to help when we're needed. Just give us some time."

"I already said, time is short. The final battle with Eo looms on the horizon. We must prepare, and quickly. If you won't join for us, at least come for your brothers' sake?" That made something snap inside Luigi. More tricks to manipulate him.

"Enough. Get out of my house." He growled. "Stop trying to use me, Charlan. I _said_ we'll be there for the fight. But, I won't go with you to the University."

"Please, Sir Luigi. My boss insists. He said I am to use whatever is necessary. I don't want to have to fight you. I have heard of your exploits, both with and without your more famous brother. In my personal opinion, you're as good as, if not better than, Mario."

"More sweet talk." Luigi spat. "Leave. Now."

"I really didn't want it to come to this." Charlan swept his arm, making long coat open wide, revealing light armor, and a wide range of weaponry. He grabbed a pair of daggers, and lowered his stance to a slight crouch. "Please, reconsider. I must follow orders."

"I won't. Especially if you're going to use violence."

"I have no choice but to follow orders. My apologies, Sir Luigi, Miss Mitrea." With that, he lunged at them. Luigi summoned Agnia to his hands, and batted aside the incoming daggers. Mitrea leapt to the air, transforming into a small, winged, lesser demon. Luigi rolled past Charlan, knocking him on the head with Agnia, while Mitrea dove at him, bearing her talons. She slashed, and Charlan evaded, only to meet the blazing tip of Agnia, inches from his face. He leapt away, but found Luigi beside him, kicking his hip. He slid to one side, and Mitrea slashed his face. Charlan growled, and charged again, quickly swapping his two daggers for a long sword. Luigi grinned. Charlan swung the sword at Luigi, who blocked, then span the sword out of Charlans' grip. Charlan pulled out two armblades, which attached themselves to his arms. He swung wildly, yet with surprising control, at Luigi, who hurriedly parried the blows. As the two fought, Mitrea transformed into a bull-like creature, only with large, thick, blunt horns. She charged at Charlan, who noticed at the last moment. Luigi had noticed her, too, and quickly locked Charlans' arms, preventing his escape. Mitreas' flat horns slammed into Charlans' side, sending him across the room. She turned back into her elf form, and grabbed Luigis' wrist. The two teleported away. A minute or so later, Charlan staggered to his feet.

"...dammit!" He growled. "I got carried away, _again_! Why did I say I was going to use force? Sir Lakitu never said I could! He told me _not_ to harm them! AARRGH! But, he's so strong! I _wanted_ to fight him so much!" He punched a door frame, which crumbled to the ground. "I'll have to report my failure to Sir Lakitu, I guess." He groaned, teleporting.

--

"So now what?" Mitrea asked, as she and Luigi appeared outside Sarasa Castle.

"Well, we're definitely not going to that University place." Luigi told her. "But, I still want to help my brother. So, we'll go to Eo's fortress when they're fighting him."

"I guess." Mitrea sighed. "So, where are we?"

"This is Daisys' castle. Her attendants know me, so we should be able to stay here for as long as we need." He approached the large castle doors, and knocked on the smaller door that was built into one of them. After a minute, it opened.

"Yes?" A Mushroom Person answered. "Ah, Mister Luigi! I'm afraid the Princess is... unavailable."

"I know." Luigi nodded. "But, my friend and I need to stay here for a while. Would you mind?"

"I... I suppose it would be alright. Come on in, then." He stepped aside for them. The pair stepped inside Sarasa Castle, wondering when the final battle against Eo would take place.

**Mario**

"He's coming." Lakitu said, making Mario jump.

"When did you get here?" He asked the tortoise.

"Just now." Lakitu replied, smiling. The pair were in Pents' study, along with Maria, Erk, Nino, Daisy, and Pent himself.

"What about Mobius? How are they doing?" Pent asked him. Lakitu shrugged.

"Adia's yet to tell me. But, I think they're pretty close." Lakitu looked around at everyone. "How long can you keep Eo busy for? But, then again... you may not... no, I've been through this." He shook his head. "So, how long?"

"A while, I guess." Mario told him. "We'll do our best, at least."

"Good." Lakitu nodded. "Ah. Adia's just informed me that Link and the others are getting ready to attack the Quezacotl. Excellent. Things are moving nicely. Well, you should all get ready." He teleported away.

"Alright." Mario clapped his hands together. "I'm gonna get some last-minute practise in. Coming, Maria?"

"Sure." Maria nodded, walking over to him. The two left the study.

"You should all get some last-minute practise." Pent advised everyone. "I'll gather the Mages, and prepare for an assault." He got to his feet, and they all left the room.

**Link**

Tossing his green emerald up and down, Link wondered how this fight would go. Would his time-slowing skills be enough to defeat the Quezacotl? Beside him, Nerra was shaking nervously. Ganondorf stood with her, trying to assure and soothe her. Sonic and the others were close behind the three. Malon and Mighty had stayed behind, by Malons' request. So, the group marched toward where the Quezacotl was, according to Tails' latest machine. Link found himself wishing Malon was with him. Or at least Mario, or Maria. Whichever he or she was right now.

_But, he's with Eo._ Link remembered with a sigh. _What am I gonna do when I meet him?_

"Hey, Link, wake up." Ganondorf said to him. "We're almost there."

"Sorry. I was just thinking."

"I noticed."

"Sorry. I'll keep my mind focused."

**Erk (The Past)**

"You said you wanted to speak to me?" Lakitu said, floating through the door into Erks' room.

"Yes, I did." Erk said with a sigh.

"Something important, I assume?"

"Possibly. You're only one I feel comfortable enough to tell. I can't even tell Lord Pent."

"Oh? Then, it must be serious. Do tell." Lakitu floated over to the bed, stepped off his cloud, and sat down. Erk sat next to him.

"You recall my collapse."

"I was barely an hour ago. Of course I remember. So, you're going to tell me what happened?"

"Yeah. St. Elimine spoke to me."

"Elimine? She's dead, as I recall."

"Yes, I know. She's in the Spirit World, now. Where most beings of importance or power go."

"Scholars deny the existence of the Spirit World. They say it's a fantasy place, dreamed up by people scared of death."

"No, it's very much real. I definitely saw blessed St. Elimine, and she said she came from there."

"Perhaps it was an illusion? Cast by Eo?"

"No. I know it wasn't, because... of what she did."

"What did she do?"

"She... gave me knowledge. Knowledge, she claimed, that surpasses yours."

"Oh? Well, that... perhaps..." He closed his eyes for a few moments. "Would let me look into your head?"

"By all means. I fainted because of that knowledge. It almost drove me mad."

"Receiving so much at once would do such a thing. When I gave Adia my knowledge, I did it bit by bit, using a spell. Even though it caused damage..." He sighed. "Well, let me begin." He faced Erk directly. He was silent for a moment. Then, Erk felt him inside.

-

Erks' mind had grown considerably large. This was unsurprising, since it would have to grow in order to store all the knowledge he apparently possessed. As Lakitu looked around, he saw many doors and boxes, no doubt containing this knowledge.

"Have you sorted the knowledge in any way?" Lakitu asked.

_Some, little by little._ An echoing reply came.

"Mind if I look behind the doors?"

_Only if you open them slightly. Don't open them completely._

"I understand." Lakitu nodded, walking to the first door.

-

Some time later, Lakitu withdrew himself from Erks' mind.

"Wow." Was all he could say. "I'm surprised you're still sane, receiving all that at once. Indeed, you have more knowledge than I do. How intriguing. And you say the spirit of Elimine, from the Spirit World, did this?"

"Yes. She gave me knowledge of that world, too. It is only accessable by Divinities, Deities and Spirits. In other words, only Gods and the dead can go there."

"That much is assumed. This is interesting. Perhaps you would be interested in full-time Scholarship? Rather than being a part-time student?"

"No, Lakitu. I'll stay here. Remember, I'm going to be Lord of Castle Reglais someday."

"Yes, I remember. Well, perhaps you'll find myself, and other Scholars, coming to you for advice on regular occasion. Oh... do you wish for others to know of your knowledge?"

"Not yet. Later, maybe. But not yet. I haven't told anyone but you. I'm not sure I'm ready for others to know."

"You haven't even told Nino?"

"No. I will, though, eventually. I just worry."

"That she'll think you've gone mad? And break up with you? Erk, she'll do no such thing."

"Not the breaking up thing, perhaps. But she'll definitely think I'm mad."

"She won't. Trust me."

"Who doesn't trust you?" Erk asked with a grin. Lakitu grinned back.

"Oh, there's a couple of people."

**Mario**

Mario, Maria, Eraf, Erk, Nino, Daisy, Pent and a small army of Mages walked toward Eos' hideout, Daisy leading the way.

"You okay, Mario?" Maria asked, looking to her left at her other half. She knew him well enough to know when something was wrong.

"No, not really." Mario sighed.

"Nervous about the fight, love?" Eraf, standing to his left, asked, gripping his hand.

"No. I'm worried about what's gonna happen when I see Link again."

"Ah, that." Maria groaned. "Well... I dunno. We'll find out when it happens. For now, let's focus on the fight."

"I know we should, but still... I can't get it out of my head."

"Well, it's not any easier for me. But, you gotta try."

"Yeah, but... _Link_, of all people, working for Eo? I just don't understand it."

"Neither do I, love." Eraf said, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "But, it'll have to wait. You can ask him, find out the truth, when you see him."

"You're sure I will?"

"One way or another. Either if he fights with us, or against us, we'll see him."

"I guess." Mario sighed. He pulled his hand free from Erafs', and gave her a one-armed hug. "I'll find out the truth soon."

"That's right." Eraf nodded, kissing his hand. "But, to do that, you need to concentrate on beating Eo right now."

"Yeah. Thanks." Mario smiled a little, bending down slightly to kiss her on the cheek. Then his face turned into a determined frown. Maria gave Eraf a 'How did you do that?' look. Eraf grinned and shrugged, holding Marios' hand again. Maria shook her head, then sported the same frown as Mario. Eraf sighed, gripping the hand of her beloved tighter. She knew, as did everyone, that Mario might not live through next two fights.

_He may be a Hero, _Eraf thought, _but he's still mortal. So is Maria, and everyone else. Eo isn't. Some of us might not make it back home alive._

**Lakitu**

"So, the time is finally upon us." Gaea said, staring around the room at Lakitu, Adia, Majora and Pent. "Lakitu, did Charlan succeed in his job?"

"No." Lakitu growled. "That idiot messed it up. He got into a fight with Luigi. He claims that Luigi's power sparked his inner warrior, and pushed him to fighting."

"Luigi _is_ powerful." Adia commented.

"Yes, but now Luigi might not side with us."

"Didn't Charlan say that Luigi promised to be there for the last fight?" Pent asked. "Mitrea is with Luigi, and she can enter the Void. I'm sure they'll be able to reach Eo's fortress."

"I guess so." Lakitu sighed. "They'll probably show up at the last minute, like most Heroes do."

"Luigi loves his brother." Adia pointed out. "And he likes Link. And, he'll want to help Daisy. On top of all that, he'll want revenge on Eo for using him, and trying to kill him. He'll be there."

"Adia's right." Majora told his boyfriend. "Luigi's a Hero, remember? You said yourself that Heroes are naturally drawn to fighting evil. There's no reason to worry."

"I guess. Oh, you're all right. I know you are. Still, I worry. The timing of the fights, teleporting Eo's halves at the right time, bringing everyone together... so many things could wrong, not counting Luigis' decision." Lakitu moaned.

"We all worry." Gaea said. "But, worrying won't help. We just have to do our best, and let the Heroes do theirs."

"Then there's Fionies' role in all this." Pent said. "If she's really going to make her future happen..."

"Oh, sorry." Lakitu gasped. "I forgot to tell you. Adia came up with a different theory, that seems more likely."

"Adia out-theorised you?" Pent asked, looking startled. "Well, let's hear it."

"We all believed that Eo infused Fionie with his dark magic, right?"

"Yeah." Pent nodded. "The future Fionie is overflowing with it. Eo stole her, infused with magic, then grew her to be a warrior for his world."

"But that's just it. I managed to penetrate Eo's barrier. As did Ganondorf. We discovered that there isn't a single drop of dark magic in our Fionies' body. None at all."

"Maybe he'll do it later?" Gaea suggested.

"Obviously. When the baby is born. Not before. Infusing her with dark magic would warp the baby beyond any use. Possibly kill it. It _is_ growing tremendously quickly, though. Perhaps the Quezacotls' body has something to do with it. I'm not sure."

"So... what's this theory?" Pent asked.

"Well, since Link and Nerra are going to kill the Quezacotl, which is incubating unborn Fionie, she won't be born."

"What does that mean?"

"Future Fionie is here to make sure she survives. Clearly, the dark magic is messing with her life in her time, and if our Fionie were to die, it seems that future Fionie would die also. Their energies are too similar for her to be an alternate Fionie. So, future Fionie is here to ensure her unborn selfs' survival."

"How will she do that?"

"We have no idea. We believe that future Fionie will do whatever is necessary at the time."

"Speaking of Fionie." Majora said suddenly. "Where is she?"

"In my room." Adia replied. "Let me check." She closed her eyes, scanning for Fionies' essence and magic. Her eyes snapped open. "No... she's not." She muttered. "She's gone. I can't sense her anywhere."

"What?" Lakitu gasped. Everyone in the room closed their eyes, and scanned for Fionie. None of them found her.

"She's in the Void." Majora groaned, realising that that was the only place she could be. "What is that girl doing?"

"Fulfilling her destiny, no doubt." Lakitu said quietly. "It's not our place to interfere with her. Not even to help. This is something she must do alone, or it could go wrong."

"Then, like true Scholars, we must simply observe and hope." Gaea chuckled. "How little our jobs have changed."

**Fionie**

She had been sat Adia's room, slapping her bare feet on the floor, beating out a basic tune. She had been bored, waiting for Adia and the others to finish their meeting. As she finished her third tune, she found her head snapping forward as something dragged her backward. Next thing she knew, she was in a huge dark area, dotted with bright orbs, that she identified as the Void. Then, she found herself being pulled toward an orb. In fact, it seemed the orb, or world, was moving to her, too. Fionie wondered what was going on. As the world moved closer, an image appeared in her mind. A huge snake-like creature, only with hind legs, feathered wings, two long feathers on the top of its' head. It threw fire and ice from its mouth, and sparked lightning from its body. Inside this creature was another. At first, Fionie thought it to be the young of this monster. Then, she somehow saw that the creature was an unborn elf.

Save it.

The feeling to save this elfs' life burned strong in Fionies' mind and heart. Even her soul. Every part of her body yearned to rescue this baby elf from the womb of this monster. This monster was going to die, and the baby would die with it. Fionie had to prevent the babys' death.

Her death.

The orb enveloped Fionie, blinding her with its' pale yellow light. When the light faded, Fionie was hit by an surprising sight.

"Daddy!" She gasped. "Mum!" She saw, some distance away, her parents walking together with Ganondorf, a girl who looked like her teacher, and Sonic and the other Rebels. She wondered why her father was walking with her mother.

_When did Mum tell Daddy that she was faking the injury? Why isn't Daddy angry that..._ She stopped._ Silly Fionie. You're in the past. You need to find that monster._

Follow Daddy.

Fionie nodded to herself, and followed her father from a distance.

**Mario**

Mario and the others stood before Eos' hideout, preparing themselves for the fight. As they did this, a large group of creatures emerged from the hideout. This group included the Shaman Anandia. Eo himself.

"Not afraid to fight with his troops, I see." Erk mused.

"He fought by himself last time." Mario told him. "He's not a coward."

"He hid behind Ganondorf and Bowser, remember?" Maria pointed out. "And he manipulated Skull Kid to kill you. He's a coward, if you ask me."

"That's weird." Eraf giggled. "Arguing with yourself, asking yourself your opinions. You two _are _the same person, technically."

"Can we focus, please?" Erk snapped. "They're getting ready to charge." As he said that, Anandia stepped from the group, walking slowly toward them. Mario wondered why he/she was doing this. Then he found himself walking to meet Anandia. In the space between the two opposing armies, Mario and Anandia came face-to-face.

"We meet again, plumber. Or should I say... Traveller?" Anandia grinned.

"Call me what you want, Eo. It doesn't matter. We'll defeat you all the same."

"If by 'we', you mean you and Link, I very much doubt that. Why, as we speak, he's no doubt crushing those annoying hedgehogs and their friends." Mario frowned at that.

_So, it's true._ He thought angrily.

"Oh, yes, Mario. The man you once felt indebted to has betrayed you. I didn't even have to sweet-talk him. He came quite willingly."

"Liar. Link can't... he wouldn't-"

"But, he did. You saw him. Maria saw him. He told you himself, to your face. He's smart enough to join the winning team."

"_We_ are the winning team. We will defeat you, Eo. And Link, if it comes to that. I won't let you rule all life."

"Then, this talk is over." Anandia said, turning and walking away. For a moment, Mario considered attacking her now. But then he remembered that he needed to make the fight last, so Lakitu could do... whatever it was he needed to do. With an angry sigh, Mario walked back to the others.

"Let's do this." He growled to them. With nothing more than a nod, everyone prepared their weapons and magic.

**Link**

Link and everyone else stood before the Quezacotl, which lifted its head to look at them.

"It's about time." It said. "I was beginning to think you'd never show."

"Well, we don't like to disappoint." Sonic said cheekily.

"I'm glad to say you haven't. So, shall we begin?"

"Ready when you are." Link spat, drawing his sword. "Don't worry, I'll finish you as quickly as possible. Then, we'll put you away for good."

"I do hope you're not including Mario in this 'we' of yours. He's on my side, if you recall."

"I recall." Link growled. "No doubt you tricked him with fancy words and false promises."

"I didn't need to."

"What do you mean?"

"Mario _joined _me, Link. Remember? He agrees with my ideals." The Quezacotl sneered. "He thinks I'm more interesting than the Scholars."

"Then I'll stop him, too." Link declared. "For the good of all, I'll stop you both."

"I'd like to see you try!" The Quezacotl laughed loudly.

"Then you're in luck! Not only will I try, I'll succeed! You're going down, Eo!" He clenched the green emerald tightly, taking some energy from it to power himself up a little. Then he put a little energy aside, ready to slow down time. Nerra stood next to Link, her wings and hair rushing through a myriad of colours and forms. Night, Flame, Water, Light, Storm, Thunder, Ice, Wind, Earth, Nature, Star, Lava, Steel.

"Prepare yourself, Eo." She said. Her voice was small, but powerful and confident. She was ready to fight.

"Link, would you be willing to fight Mario, when the time comes?" The Quezacotl asked.

"I would."

"Then, let us fight." It said, taking to the air.

**Adia**

With two magic screens in front of her, Adia watched the two groups, Marios' and Links', preparing to fight. Lakitu waited, sitting on his cloud, for Adia to tell him if one of the fights started to lean toward victory. When one did, Lakitu would either contact that group and tell them to slow down, or the other group to tell them to speed up. Adia also watched the fights for another reason. She knew that Link and Nerra alone might not be able to defeat the Quezacotl, and that Sonic and the others might not be enough, either. If this was the case, then Sonic and Shadow would have to go Super. Or Hyper in Shadows' case, she reminded herself.

_Shadows' body reacts so violently to Chaos Energy, that his body transforms beyond Super, but burns out because of the extreme amount of energy._ She thought sadly. She watched Marios' fight to see just how strong Erk and Nino would be. Nino, the Spirit Mage, had a ludicrous amount of magical power, and Erk, the Wise Mage or Spellweaver, has the wisdom to make his spells more devastating. Adia wondered just how much stronger they were. It excited her. Also, she wanted to compare the fighting styles of Mario and Maria, and she wanted to see just how much of her full strength Nerra could come up with.

"They're starting." Adia said to Lakitu.


	30. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**Mario**

The two large groups of fighters faced each other, readying themselves for the inevitable charge. Both sides were waiting for the other to move, so they could counter the charge. It didn't take long before Anandias' patience wore out, and ordered her fighters to attack. Mario responded a few more moments later, and he and the others rushed to the opposing army. Pent, Erk, Nino and Daisy engaged multiple opposing fighters, while Maria hacked her way toward Anandia. The other Mages with Mario also engaged the enemy. Mario, on the other hand, leapt straight over the heads of everyone, and landed within a few feet of Anandia. She glowered at him, annoyed that he should ignore her troops so blatantly. A group of Anandias' troops turned to face Mario at the same that Maria leapt forward, positioning herself between them and her other half. She muttered something like 'You're the Hero, not me.' to him, then rushed forward to attack. Mario sighed, confused by that comment. He knew that right now he was only half a Hero. Regardless, he diverted all of his attention to Anandia. With a scowl, she conjured a dazzling blue sword. Mario shifted his grip on his Fairy Sword. The two stared each other down. Their eyes dared the other to move. Mario knew he had to be careful, because Anandia was powerful, and Mario himself was only half of what he was. His other half was fighting the rest of Anandia's troops. Anandia was also cautious, as she knew full well the capabilities of a Hero, without considering the power of Maidens. None of the explosions, pillars of flames or gusts of icy winds distracted the pair. With one last flexing of fingers on swords, the two rocketed at each other, swords held back, determination and focus blazing on their faces, and in their feet. Dust flew as the two ran, air squealed off the edges of their swords, and the booms of magical spells emphasized the intensity of the charge. The squealing of the air rose to a pained howl as the two swords swung toward their target, and was suddenly silenced by the shriek of metal impacting metal. For a moment, the spells behind Mario seemed to stop, too. Silence hovered for a brief moment, which passed like minutes, then the spells and cries resumed. As though this was a signal, Mario and Anandia drew their swords back and swung again. Anandias' swing was slightly faster than Marios', making the plumber lean sharply to his right to avoid the blow. He dragged his sword out of the air, clanging it on the ground, then all but threw it at Anandia. Anandia leapt back, then to one side as Mario stabbed his sword at her. She took a large pace forward, thrusting a palm toward Mario. In response, Mario threw up his sword in a defensive position. Anandia grinned. That was when Mario realised his mistake. A fireball slammed into Marios' sword, cutting itself into two halves, both of which slammed into Marios' torso, knocking him into the frenzied fighting between the two small armies. Six enemy troops, who weren't particularly busy with any of the Mages, quickly turned on him. As Mario struggled to his feet, lashing his sword in a panic, several bolts of lightning slammed down around him. Looking around, Mario saw Eraf holding a tome. She zapped two of the troops as Mario managed to stand in an upright position. He cut down the two enemies in front of him, and stepped from the fray. He was greeted by a wave of dark energy followed by a sweeping sword. Using the agility the Mushroom Kingdom, and his Maiden, blessed him with, Mario dodged the two attacks and managed to plant his foot in Anandias' stomach. The Shaman flew through the air, landed roughly on the ground, and rolled several feet away. She quickly stopped herself, stood upright, and dashed forward again. She clearly wasn't pleased with the sudden attack, and her inability to dodge it. She swung her sword quickly, delivering a flurry of blows from left, right and above. Mario blocked and deflected the blows with some ease, but had no opportunity for a counter-attack. Anandia slowly forced Mario backwards, toward the throng of fighters. A few of Anandia's followers saw the plumber back-stepping toward them, and turned to attack. Before they had chance to raise their swords for a strike, Maria cut down two, and Eraf blasted the other three with a Fire spell. Mario hadn't noticed this, however, as all of his attention was on Anandia, and trying to find a chance to hit back. It came a mere moment later, as Anandia raised her sword a little higher than usual for a vertical strike. Without another thought, Mario thrust his head forward, his forehead connecting sharply Anandias' nose, knocking her back. She stumbled for a moment, then fell to the floor. Mario stood over her, sword held high, tip pointing at the chest of the stunned Shaman.

**Link**

As soon as the Quezacotl took to the air, Link used Chaos Control to slow down its' ascent. He leapt, raising his sword for a strike. He tensed his arms and shoulders, and trained his sight onto the stomach of the creature, which was only just in his attack range. The Quezacotl saw this, faster than it expected to. Fortunately for the Quezacotl, thought is the fastest thing in existence, and it figured out that Link had used Chaos Control. Panic rose, and the Quezacotl quickly delved into its vast resource of power. It took a moment, which was almost a moment too late. The Quezacotl expelled a huge burst of energy, shattering the control Chaos held over the speed of time, restoring it to its' normal flow. The Quezacotl yanked its stomach out of the way with a twisting of its body and a powerful flap of its wings. Links' sword missed by millimetres, and the elfs' leap transformed into a fall as he returned to the ground. He landed roughly, rolling forward to absorb the impact. Nerra then took to the air, chasing after the Quezacotl as it flew higher, preparing some form of attack. Link gripped his Chaos Emerald, wondering how he could help Nerra. He couldn't fly, and he couldn't jump high enough to reach the Quezacotl. For a moment he wished Mario was here to help. He shook the thought from his head as Nerra neared the Quezacotl, her wings and hair changing from night-black to fire-orange. Fireballs blazed in her hands, which she clenched into fists. The fire flared brighter, and wings grew in size. Nerra drew back her right fist, her eyebrows descending into a focussed frown, then threw the fist forward. The fireball shot forward, zooming toward the Quezacotl as it prepared its own attack. Nerra quickly threw the second fireball forward. At that same moment, the Quezacotl inhaled and swallowed a huge mouthful of air, then spat a tremendous stream of fire toward the winged girl. Her fireballs were engulfed by the flames. Nerra frowned for a moment, her hair and wings bursting into flame, then she sent forth an equally large sea of fire toward the incoming wave of flames. The two flaming tsunamis crashed into each other, flames and embers flying in all directions, withering away in the air. The two firestreams continued to pound into each other, as Nerra and the Quezacotl put more and more energy into them. Meanwhile, Link stood on the ground, feeling helpless. He could do nothing to help. He gripped his Chaos Emerald tightly, so tightly his hand began to shake. His eyes darkened as his uselessness began to gnaw at his mind. Sonic and Shadow looked at him, concerning etched across their features. Then, with a smile, they used Chaos Control. Link gasped in surprise when they appeared from thin air in front of him. Then he grinned. He eased his grip on the emerald, and called forth some more energy. Without even crying 'Chaos Control', Link disappeared in a green flash. He reappeared above the Quezacotl, bearing his sword down on the creatures' head. It noticed him. It stopped its flaming breath, snapping its mouth closed, and moved swiftly to its left. Nerra's flames shot toward Link. Nerra noticed this, and screamed, trying to stop the fire. Unfortunately, all she could do was stop producing the fire. The remaining flames continued to fly toward Link. Link calmly teleported away from the flames. Nerra shrieked again when the inferno passed over the area where Link had once been. She hadn't seen him teleport. Then, she sighed in relief as Link appeared to the right of the Quezacotl, brandishing his sword, slicing at its' neck. Nerra flew over to assist. Link missed in his slash, and fell toward the ground. He teleported himself again, appearing on the other side of the beast. Nerra changed her wings and hair to a sparkling cyan; Ice-Wing. She threw three spear-shaped icicles at the Quezacotl. Link, on the Quezacotl's left, thrust his sword forward in a stab. It squawked, an odd noise for a winged snake, and threw out a wave of energy. The icicles disintergrated, and Link was thrown back. Nerra quickly changed herself to Light-Wing, her hair and wings becoming a pale yellow, almost white, colour. She hurled an energy beam at the Quezacotl, which flew toward her, then snaked and curled its body around the beam, avoiding it completely. As it opened its mouth to expel its icy breath, Link appeared beside its' jaw, and delivered a swift, sweeping kick to its jaw. The Quezacotls' head was turned, and the ice breath soared harmlessly in a different direction. Nerra brought down a pillar of light onto the Quezacotls' back, knocking down to the ground. It writhed and squirmed, trying to free itself from the downward force of the light pillar, and fight the pain it felt. With some cumbersome, almost ugly, rolls and flips, the Quezacotl flew from beneath the light pillar, which disappeared a moment later. The Quezacotl blasted through the air toward Nerra, preparing a lightning strike. Before it was anywhere near ready to attack, Link appeared. He was positioned just in front of its' snout, and slightly above. He flipped forward in mid-air, his left leg tucked to his buttocks, the other held straight out. He rotated, as the Quezacotl flew toward him. The Quezacotl started to realise what was happening. It was too late. Link completed his forward-flip, and the heel of his right boot slammed into the nose of the Quezacotl, and the beast yowled in pain, and its head was knocked back toward the ground. Link and Nerra charged a beam each, and sent them after the creature.

**Luigi**

"Your meals, Sir and Madam." A Mushroom Man said as he entered the dining room. He placed two plates in front of Luigi and Mitrea. "Enjoy." He left the room. Luigi picked up a fork, and slowly began to eat. Mitrea, after a few moments of thought, copied him. The two ate in silence for a long while, the only noises the munching of food and clinking of cutlery on crockery. After some time, Mitrea spoke.

"We should see how Mario and Link are doing." She said. Luigi didn't respond. "If we're going to help them in the last fight, we need to be able to get there on time."

"I know." Luigi replied quietly. Mitrea sighed. She could tell that Luigi was afraid to face his brother after betraying him. Another sigh, as Mitrea realised that there was nothing she could say or do to ease Luigis' anguish. Luigi tapped his fork against his plate, a frown decorating his face, his narrow eyes narrowing further.

"I miss your eyes." Mitrea said gently. "Back when they were wider, more alive."

"Blame Eo." Luigi grumbled. "He made me into this." His eyes became paper-thin slits as they narrowed even more. "He changed me, changed me into something I don't want to be. Someone who looks evil."

"You don't look _evil_, Luigi. Just... a little mean. I'm sure that your eyes will go to normal after a while with your brother and Daisy."

"I hope so." Luigi sighed, pushing his plate away. "Are you done?"

"Huh? I was only-"

"Your meal."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm not really hungry."

"Good. Then lets' make our excuses and go see how everyones' doing." Luigi got to his feet.

"You're finished already?" Daisy's personal attendant asked from the door.

"We are." Luigi told him. "We have some business to attend to. Thank you for the meals."

"Not at all, Mister Luigi. I wish you all the best with your business. If you should see the Princess, please ask her to return home."

"I plan to." Luigi assured the Mushroom Man. "If you'll excuse us."

"Of course. Best of luck, Mister Luigi."

"Thank you." Luigi and Mitrea left the dining room, and the castle, then teleported to the Void. From there, they flew into the orb that was the world of Elibe, to check on Marios' progress.

"Are we going to help?" Mitrea asked, as the two appeared near Eo's hideout.

"I plan to." Luigi said. "But, it depends on whether or not I feel confident enough to."

"We'll just watch from afar, then. Then, we'll go and check on Link, okay?"

"Yeah." The two approached the hideout. They stopped when they saw the battle taking place. Bodies lay everywhere. Those of Eos' followers, and Pents' Mages. Erk, Nino, Daisy, Eraf and Maria were still alive, as was Lord Pent. They continued to tirelessly cut down any enemy that attacked. Luigis' eyes moved away from the carnage, and searched for Mario. The narrow eyes widened, ever so slightly, when they finally found Luigis' brother, who was fighting Anandia.

**Mario**

Anandia had rolled away from the descending sword, which stopped before hitting the ground. Anandia leapt to her feet, then several paces backwards as Mario rushed at her. She then lunged forward, sword screaming as it rocketed forwards, ready to strike. Mario brought his own sword shrieking toward it, batting it aside. He then side-stepped to his right, allowing Anandia to stomp past him. He span on his left heel, and brought his right foot down, with the force of a spin, on Anandias' back. The Shaman stumbled to the floor. She quickly picked herself up, and sent some balls of dark energy at Mario. Mario dodged and hit these energy balls, and sent some of his green energy scythes at Anandia. She evaded these neatly, then attacked with a spell that Mario recognised as Flux. An orb of dark energy appeared before Anandia, which then seeped into the ground. Mario frowned, waiting for the orb to reappear. It shot out of the ground beneath him, reforming around him. At the last moment, Mario ducked, and the orb became whole, then faded. Mario charged up Elfire, which he threw at Anandia. The pillar of fire surrounded the Shaman, and the two fireballs circled it, adding their heat to the flames. Mario scowled. He had seen that Anandia had leapt away at the last second, and now stood behind the flames. She cackled, then threw the spell Luna at him. This spell absorbed energy from the target, and gave it to the caster. Mario roared, and pounded the dark symbol that appeared in front of him with Fire. After the fifth Fire, it faded away, and two more Fires shot toward Anandia, who batted them aside with her sword. Mario quickly brought down two Thunder spells. One slammed into the ground where Anandia had stood a moment earlier, and the other slammed into where she moved to. Unfortunately, Anandia was now in front of Mario, swinging her sword again. Mario yelped in surprise, and leapt backwards. Anandia charged toward him. Mario hurriedly stepped aside and around Anandia. In his hurry, he failed to lift his right foot in time. His left foot bumped into it, and the plumber fell over. He quickly transformed this into a low, sweeping kick, which impacted Anandia's ankle, knocking the Shaman to the ground. Mario leapt back to his feet, and lashed a foot at Anandia, kicking her to one side. She rolled, and span to an upright position, then leapt back at Mario, anger exploding from her face, and rage erupting from her scream. Mario merely frowned gently in response, as Anandia once again brought her sword howling toward him. He could tell that Anandia was getting annoyed that the fight wasn't going her way. Nearby, the last of her followers were being finished off by Maria and the others. Mario lazily knocked the incoming sword aside, then thumped his boot into her chest, knocking the Shaman back. She lunged again, and Mario punched her to one side. Her rage was taking over, and she was becoming unable to make quick decisions. She shot at him one more time. Mario pulled back his right fist. Anandia swung at him. Mario instantly saw that it was a feint. She brought up her left leg, attempting to kick him. Mario smashed his left hand into her knee, breaking the bone, then slammed his right hand into her face, knocking her back, and unconcisous.

"GAME!" Adia's voice cried. "Nicely done, Mario. Not bad for a half a hero." She grinned, then giggled. "Let's get Eos' spirit to his fortress."

"The other halfs' been taken care of?"

"As we speak, Master Lakitus' congratulating everyone on a job well done." She said, preparing a spell to send Eo to his fortress. A purple light enveloped Anandia, and a formless black shape emerged from her, then disappeared.

**Link**

The Quezacotl countered Link and Nerra's beams with a wave of energy. The two beams dissipated, and the energy wave continued to shoot at the two fighters. Nerra managed to fly out of the way, while Link teleported away. Nerra flew toward the Quezacotl, hurling razor-sharp feathers from her wings, the feathers glowing with pure light. Only three of four of them managed to hit the Quezacotl, before it roasted them with flaming breath. The breath skimmed past Nerra, who had moved to her left to avoid it. Link appeared beside the Quezacotl again, kicking forward his right foot. The Quezacotl countered by lashing at Link with its tail. Link failed to see this, and was knocked several feet away through the air. Nerra gasped and froze when she saw this, and was then zapped by the Quezacotl's lightning. Sonic and Shadow, on the ground, prepared themselves to take over the fight. They had assumed that Link and Nerra, being two Heroes, would have to handle this alone. Now it seem that they couldn't. The Quezacotl sneezed a fireball at Link, then turned and charged into Nerra. By some great fortune, the fireball missed Link by a margin, but the Quezacotl's head was on target, bulleting toward the semi-conscious Nerra. Sonic and Shadow prepared some Chaos Energy, when three cyan-coloured spears of energy stabbed into the Quezacotls' neck, dragging a strangled scream from it. Link had recovered enough of his stamina to wonder what was happening. Shadow and Sonic also wondered, while Charmy, Tails and Rouge soared into the air to catch Nerra. The Quezacotl snapped its head round to stare at Link. He saw the elf, preparing an attack. It turned its body to prepare another attack. Then, someone else appeared in the air, in front of it. This person, evidently a woman, had long, flowing red hair, and wore dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt and black boots. She faced away from the Quezacotl, spinning toward him, her left leg held out beside her. The boot on this leg collided loudly with the Quezacotls' nose, knocking to one side. The girl clutched the cyan Chaos Emerald. She used this emerald to attack the Quezacotl with more Chaos Spears, then teleported above it. The spear pounded into the Quezacotls' head, and the girl then punched it downwards. It took a moment for Link to realise that the girl was Malon. Malon teleported underneath the Quezacotl, and kicked it skywards again. Sonic and Shadow used their Chaos Emeralds, and teleported to either side of the Quezacotl, curled into a ball, then shot into the Quezacotls' cheeks. Rouge, Tails and Charmy then charged themselves into the Quezacotl. Before any of the others had a chance to move, the Quezacotl threw out a tremendous wave of dark energy, knocking them all to the ground. Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Rouge, Charmy, Malon and Nerra hit the groun hard. Only Link, who had been preparing a big attack nearby, survived. Seeing his wife-to-be laying unconscious on the floor outraged Link. Without any conscious decision, Link started to absorb all the energy he could from his green emerald. There wasn't enough. He needed more. More energy. Eo, in the body of the Quezacotl, needed to be punished. Severely. He reached out to the other emeralds, drawing the energy from them. The seven emeralds floated into the air, and started orbiting Link. The Quezacotl realised this, and also realised what was happening. With a roar, it charged toward Link, hurling fire, ice, and lightning balls at the enraged elf. The attacks bounced harmlessly off the forcefield created by the emeralds. Link roared, grabbing and snatching desperately at every trickle of energy and power he could get from the emeralds.

_Take us._ They cried. _Take our energy. Show all our power!_ Link willingly took all the energy the offered. He began to glow a blinding white. The light was so bright that it stirred all the unconscious into consciousness.

"NO!" Sonic and Shadow howled. "Link, you can't!" Sonic yelled to him. "You can't handle the Chaos Energy! Stop it! Stop! If you overuse it, you'll disappear!" Link couldn't hear them. "Malon, tell him! He'll listen to you, won't he?"

"I doubt that." A warm voice said from behind them. "He's too angry. In a trance."

"Lakitu! Can't you stop him?"

"Nope. No-one can get close to him right now. All we can do is watch." He looked up to Link, and everyone copied, hoping for the best. The emeralds flashed once, then flew away, disappearing on the horizon. The bright light surrounding Link faded, and the elf came into clear view. His clothes were dyed a pitch-black, his hair shone a fantastic white, and his skin had darkened to a deep tan. His eyes were blood-red. The Quezacotl bellowed at him. "Wow." Lakitu sighed. "I need to take note of this." He pulled his book from his cloud. "Let's see... overdose of Chaos Energy... produces... far more... powerful... results... in strangers... than in residents. Link, for example... turned..." He thought for a moment. "Let's call it 'Extreme', since it is... compared to... Sonics' 'Super', and Shadows... 'Hyper'." He snapped his book shut. "There. Now, enjoy the show." He looked up at Extreme Link. The Quezacotl rattled a fierce battle cry, then charged forward. Extreme Link snorted, then slammed the Quezacotl with a ridiculously huge burst of energy. The Quezacotl was knocked a great distance back. Extreme Link appeared behind it, and punched its head until the bone cracked. It was loud enough to make everyone shudder. Extreme Link then flew down to the wings, and ripped them off ferociously. The Quezacotl yowled in pain. Extreme Link then appeared in front of the Quezacotl, and beat it on the face with its own wings. Then he flipped over and hammer-kicked the Quezacotl to the ground. He sent colossal grey beam after colossal grey beam after it. The beams slammed into the Quezacotl, pushing it further into the ground, making a massive crater. After a moment, Extreme Link stopped throwing beams, and teleported to the Quezacotl. He grabbed its face, lifting the head to stare at him.

"I would kill you now." He growled. "Were you not immortal. Instead, I will allow Lakitu to take you to your fortress, and defeat you there. Then, you will be sealed away for all eternity." He slammed the head to ground again. With a bright flash, Link returned to his usual self.

"Excellent show, Link!" Lakitu cried as he flew over to him. "And more notes for my research. Thank you. Thank you so much. And now, as you said, I will take Eo to his fortress. Stand back, everyone." He conjured a spell. A formless black shape was pulled from the Quezacotl, and then disappeared. "Let's get you all to the Rock." He said, then teleported Link, Malon, Sonic, Shadow, Mighty, Knuckles and Tails.

**Fionie**

Fionie shook herself from her shocked stupor. After seeing her own father go so crazy, and get so strong, Fionie had been utterly gobsmacked. She hadn't thought her father could be so powerful. She shook her head, and watched as Lakitu teleported everyone away. As soon as they were gone, she trotted over to the corpse of the Quezacotl. It stared at her, a pained expression in its eyes.

"I have been used." It whispered. "By the Evil One. I am pleased that my life was used to assist in the defeat of such a vile creature. Tell me, young child, what brings you here?"

"I'm inside you right now. The unborn me. I mean, me from the past. I mean... me from now...um..." Fionie tried to make sense, but failed. This time-travel nonsense was beyond her. The Quezacotl chuckled.

"I understand what you mean, young child. You would be the Dark Daughter, I assume. Yes, your other self is indeed inside my womb. However, my life fades as we speak. The child will not survive should I die. Which I surely will. What will you do, Dark Daughter?"

"I don't know. All I know is I have to save it... myself."

"Then, do what your Fate commands you. I must follow my own Fate, as she tells me to pass to the next life. Should my brother question my death, tell him that I gave my life to seal away the Evil One."

"I will, great Quezacotl, Lady of The Morning Star." Fionie didn't know that the Quezacotl was the Lady of The Morning Star, but something told her to say it.

"Ah... the child pines." The Quezacotl sighed gently. "And the Dark Daughter fades." Fione looked at herself, and saw that she was turning see-through. "Quickly, Dark Daughter. Save yourself." With that, the Quezacotl closed her eyes. Fionie sniffed, tears forming as she witnessed the death of her surrogate mother. She walked over to the stomach of the Quezacotl, and felt around for her energy. She found it, then used the dark energy, blessed and cursed upon her by Eo, to cut the baby from the womb. She lifted the barely-formed child from the womb, and cradled it in her arms.

_You come for me._ It sighed. _I pray that you are in time._

"As do I." Fionie whispered to the child. She set it gently on the ground. "But... what do I do?" She asked herself. She began to panic. "If you die, I die. How do I save you?" Then, she heard her Fate speaking into her mind.

Give her energy.

"Energy?" Fionie asked. "My energy? Or Eos' energy?"

It is all yours. Give her energy.

"R-right." Fionie sank to her knees, and placed both her hands upon the foetus. She searched inside herself, drawing her energy to the surface. She took hold a large portion, and pushed it into her other self. The foetus shuddered, then started to grow. Before Fionies' eyes, the unborn version of herself grew, and began to take form. When it finished, it looked exactly as Fionie did a year ago, save for the nakedness. Her blonde hair curled around her ears, and her eyes were a slightly lighter purple. "Are you... alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you." The other Fionie replied. "Who... are you?"

"I am no-one." Fionie told her. "You are Fionie. I..." Fionie then felt something tugging her body. "I have to go. Goodbye, Fionie. Take care of Link and Malon, your parents. And if you see the Quetzalcoatl, treat him with respect and love, for he is, by all rights, your uncle." Fionie was then dragged into the Void, and carried to her own time by the TimeLines. She flew into the orb that she recognised as the World, and appeared in her room on Hyrule Side.

"Welcome back, Fionie." Night-Winged Daisy said.

"Teacher! You're still here?"

"You were barely gone a minute. Tell me, what was your mission in the past?"

"To... save myself. My unborn self."

"Very well. Shall we continue with our lesson? Or would you prefer to rest?"

"I'd like a rest, please." Fionie said, walking over to her bead. "I just had to see myself almost die, and see my second mother die. I'm... tired."

"I understand. I'll see you again, Fionie." Night-Winged Daisy stood and left the room.

**Heroes**

"Here we are." Lakitu said happily. "Adia and the others should be here in a moment." He looked at Malon. "Oh, my. You haven't retrieved your daughter, have you? No worries. She'll be perfectly fine. A... oh." He flew over to Malon, who was sat down clutching her legs. "Oh, dear. Those are broken. Very badly. I'll see what I can to heal them, but it seems some Chaos Energy leaked into the wounds... I might not be able to." At that moment, Adia and the others appeared.

"We're here, Master!" She said happily. "Are we all read-GAH!" She shrieked, as Mario thrusted her aside, and charged at Link. Link scowled, and rushed to meet the plumber. Neither bothered to draw their swords, and instead threw their fists at each other. Link, having longer reach, thumped Mario squarely on the cheek, knocking him to one side. "Woah! No no no! Why are you fighting?? W-what's wrong with you?"

"Link, Mario!" Lakitu snapped. "Stop it, right now! This is no time to-" He stopped short when he realised that neither listened. Link leapt at Mario, drawing his left foot back for a stomp. Mario rolled to his right, and Links' foot slammed into the ground, kicking up mud and dust. Mario shot forward again, and planted a foot firmly on Links' eye, sending the elf rolling into Adia, knocking her over. Before Adia could grab Link, he was on his feet again, charging at Mario. The two met, and a flurry of fists and feet were thrown at each other, all blocked, deflected, and countered. The anger on their faces was palpable. While the two hurled attacks at each other, Adia ran to Lakitu.

"Master, what're they doing? Why are they fighting?"

"I don't know." Lakitu admitted. "I never expected this to happen. Maria, what's happening?" He turned to Marios' other half.

"You really don't know?" Maria asked, frowning deeply. "Were you so absorbed in your little plan that you ignored what was going on with us? With Link?"

"Nothing was going on with Link."

"Yes, there was!" Maria spat. "I can't believe you ignored it!"

"I can't ignore what didn't happen. So what, supposedly, happened with Link?"

"He joined Eo! He's on the bad side!"

"What? No, I don't think so. Link just kicked seven bells out of Eo in the Quezacotl. He's on our side."

"Yeah!" Nerra spoke up. "Mario's the one who joined Eo! We saw him on Mobius, fighting Link!"

"No, Link came to Elibe!" Maria shot back. "You're with Eo, too! All of you!"

"How dare you!" Nerra hissed, shooting forwards. Maria drew her sword, and ran at Nerra.

"Oh, Gods..." Lakitu groaned. "What did I do to deserve this?" As he spoke, Erk, Pent, Nino, Eraf and Daisy ran at Sonic, Shadow, Mighty, Knuckles and Tails.

"Master, we've gotta stop them! They'll kill each other. What'll happen to the worlds if all our Heroes kill each other?" Adia cried worriedly.

"I'm working on it. Eo has clearly played both sides for fools." Lakitu said. "So, let's drag them all apart." He flew over to Mario and Link. Adia sighed, and walked over to the others. She summoned a chunk of her power, and pulled them all apart.

"That's enough!!" She screamed, her voice slicing through the shouts. Everyone turned to stare at her. "You've all been fooled! Eo has tricked you all!"

"How would you know?" Maria asked.

"He has... _had_, rather, a shapeshifter on his side. He used her to attack Mario and Link, disguised as the other."

"...oh." Maria gasped, dropping her raised fists. "That... kinda makes sense, I guess." The others calmed down, too. Then everyone looked to Link and Mario, who were still fighting furiously. Lakitu pulled the two apart with magic.

"This is bad." He sighed, floating between them. He pushed the two fighters further away from each other. "What's going on?"

"This is all your fault!" Link snapped at Lakitu. "What you and the other Scholars have been doing!"

"We're not your puppets!" Mario hissed. "But-" He pointed his sword at Link. "That's no reason to join Eo." The crowd gasped.

"_I _joined Eo?!" Link growled. "You're the one who said he was more fun! That his view was more interesting!"

"No, I didn't! _You_ said that Eo had the right idea! Forcing all worlds into one, ruling it. Don't you dare say such things about me!"

"Children, children." Lakitu sighed. "You can't _both_ have joined Eo if you don't know about each other. You've both been played."

"By who?" Mario asked, his anger subsiding slightly.

"By Eo, no less. He had a shapeshifter, by the name of Mitrea, on his side. Luckily, she has now left his company. She disguised herself as one of you, then attacked the other. Didn't either of you think of that?"

"Um... not really, no." Link muttered, turning red with embarrasment. "I guess... I should've said something to you."

"Sorry, Link." Mario said slowly. "Sorry I tried to beat you up."

"Same here." Link sighed. The two approached each other slowly, then shook hands.

"There, that's better. One big happy family. With as many trust issues and scraps as a real family. Delightful." Lakitu said happily.

"So, Lakitu. What now?" Link asked. "I'm sure you didn't bring us here for the view."

"No. I just wanted to wish you luck, and tell you that it'll take four of you now. Link, Mario, Daisy and Nerra. Eo is going to be alot stronger than last time, so be prepared."

"Why will he be stronger?" Mario queried.

"Be...cause..." Lakitu began, then shook his head. "Just because. Anyway. Shall we get going?" At that moment, Majora appeared.

"Still chewing the fat?" He joked, walking over to Lakitu. "You should get going. Eo's almost finished his fusion."

"Yes, I know. I was about to send them."

"Who else is going?"

"The four Heroes, the Maidens, myself, you, and Adia. Everyone else can come, and watch if they want, but they can't interfere. This is a job for Heroes and Maidens only." He looked around. "So, who wants to watch?" Erk, Nino, Mighty and Shadow stepped forward. "Right, then. Majora, dear, send everyone else home." Majora did so with a lightning-quick spell. Maria remained along with the others. "And now, Altered One, it is time for you to become your full self again."

"At last." Maria sighed happily. She walked over to Mario, and hugged him. "It's been great being by your side, Mario. But, I'll be glad to be you again."

"Same to you, Maria." Mario said, returning the hug.

"Stay like that for a moment, you two." Lakitu ordered, preparing the spell. Mario and Maria obeyed. The two then glowed, flashed, and then only Mario stood where the two had once been. "Now, let's all go to Eos' fortress, while we've still chance." He teleported them.

**Luigi**

_This is it._ Mitrea's voice said in Luigi's mind. The two floated outside a huge castle in the Void. _Eos' fortress._

_Can we get in?_ Luigi asked.

_Only one way to find out._ Mitrea replied, flying to the huge door. She grabbed the ornate doorknob, and pulled. _Hm? Maybe it pushes open._ She pushed._ Oh, no..._

_Can't get in? Let me try._ Luigi said, a worried frown on his forehead. He pushed and pulled the door, but it wouldn't budge. He punched, kicked, headbutted, body-charged and even used Agnia on it, but the door stood fast. _No!_ He cried in his mind. _No, this can't happen! We... we can't... get in..._ He fell to his knees, shaking in anger.

_Luigi, I'm so sorry. But, I'm sure they'll be fine. We... we're still on their side, right? That's what counts. They'll win, because you're on their side._ Mitrea knelt beside him, and rubbed his back.

_But... I wanted to help my brother... _Luigi moaned. _I... I'm so sorry, Mario..._


	31. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

**Heroes**

"So, the pathetic Heroes come to see my moment of triumph!" Eo declared, in his true form. The demonic four-winged, two-horned, tailed, pitch-black humanoid with blood-red eyes and teeth stood before them. His aura was as terrifying as last time. They all stood in the same room as the last time they fought him.

"We beat you last time, Eo." Link said. "This time will be no different."

"I know all your tricks now, elf. I will not be beaten so easily."

"Then, we'll come up with new tricks."

"I would see you try, weaklings."

"They are not weak." Lakitu said gently. "Quite the contrary, they are stronger than you."

"Yet, it takes four of them? Have you so-called 'Heroes' no sense of a fair fight?"

"That's rich, coming from the one who makes uses trickery and minions to do all his dirty work."

"I would say the same of you, Scholar." Eo rasped. "Why do you not fight me yourself? You are afraid. You would use these innocents, from another world, to do the task that should fall to you."

"I only go by what the worlds and the Fates tell me."

"You are a coward! You, that boyfriend of yours, and that worthless owl! All Scholars are coward dogs, cringing behind people they manipulate and control!"

"How dare you!"

"Your young apprentice will be no different. White Witch, you had the chance to join the winning side. You had the chance to be powerful, and overthrow the cruel, heartless Scholars. I offer you this chance again. I would like to have you on my side."

"You will leave her out of this!" Lakitu snapped, colour rushing to his face.

"Let the child decide for herself, turtle! Stop interfering with other lives! _That_ is what is so despicable about the Scholars! You claim to want to research and help others, but all you do is use them for your own means! Adia, you must come with me. Do not turn into one of those disgusting monsters that call themselves Scholars."

"I said _leave her!!_!!" Lakitu shrieked, flying at Eo. "Enough of your black-tongued lies!" He charged a spell, and fired it at Eo. Eo lazily stepped to one side, and fired a beam at Lakitu. It engulfed his head, and knocked him into the far wall. His cloud, floating where Lakitu had once been,sailed silently to the ground

"_MASTER!!_" Adia wailed, rushing to the fallen tortoise.

"Lakitu!" Majora cried, running beside Adia. Everyone else rushed over to the Scholar.

"Ma...jora..." Lakitu groaned weakly.

"Shush, my love." Majora whispered tearfully. "Save your strength. I'll save you."

"No, dear heart... this is my fate... I must die by Eos' hand."

"No, Lakitu, no! You... y-you can't die! Don't l-l-leave me! I love you, Lakitu! I love you, Lakita Tuan! I love with all my heart, mind, body and soul! I am yours forever! You can't leave me! Please... please, don't leave me..." Majora started to sob. Lakitu raised a tiny hand. Majora clutched in his own. "please..."

"I... love you, too. But, Majora... you... must not weep for me. Move on with your life, my love. Find another, who will love you and whom you will love in return."

"There will be no other. Only you are for me."

"There is always another. Find that person, Majora. Adia... my apprentice."

"M-master?" Adia hiccuped.

"Take my place... as Head Scholar. Lead the Scholars into the future. But before that, lead our Heroes to victory, and seal the Evil One."

"Y-yes, Master. I will do as you command."

"Then, I can rest. Farewell, everyone." He sighed long and slow. "Majora..."

"Sweetheart?" Majora leaned closer to him.

"One... last... kiss..."

"Of course." Majora sobbed. He moved his face to Lakitus', his tears spilling unrestrained, falling onto the paling cheeks of his beloved tortoise. Majora pressed his lips against Lakitus', kissing him more passionately than he ever had before. Lakitu, in his dying state, tried to return the passion. After two small moments, Lakitus' body went limp. Majora raised his head, and stared at Lakitu through blurred, red eyes. "G... goodbye... my beloved... I... I love you... so, so much..." He pressed his hand against Lakitus' forehead. Then, a vision spilled into his mind.

**Vision**

Majora was in his and Lakitus' study room. He could sense Lakitu nearby. But, Lakitu was dead. Then Majora realised that he _was_ Lakitu. This was a vision, after all. A vision of something that Lakitu had experienced. What could Lakitu, using the last of his life, want to show Majora?

"Lakitu..." A voice said from behind. Majora/Lakitu turned, and saw a woman floating in the air, bathed in a celestial light.

"Goddess..." Lakitu whispered. "What... what brings you before me?"

"Your actions regarding the Evil One." The Goddess replied. "You are to be punished."

"I..." Lakitu gasped. "I understand. But..."

"I do understand your reasons for releasing him. You did it for love, and to unite worlds, and for research into phenomena, to ease the lives of others. But, releasing Eo is one of the biggest crimes one can commit. You must be punished for this."

"What is my punishment to be?" Majora could see Lakitu's thoughts thundering. Seperated from Majora, losing Majora, losing Adia, being tortured for eternity... the possibilites flashed wildly.

"You are to be killed by Eos' hand." The Goddess told him. "But, do not fear too much. Though I cannot tell you the precise time of your death, I can tell you that, because of your reasons, and the fact that you attempted to rectify this action, the other Holy Ones have allowed you a small concession."

"What is this concession?" Lakitu asked, failing to cover the fear in his voice.

"All we could agree on for you, is that the time between now and your death will be free of judgement. No matter what you do from this moment forth will have no bearing on whether you go to Heaven or Hades."

"I am grateful, your Holiness." Lakitu bowed his head.

"Then, I will see you at your time of Judgement." The Goddess said, then disappeared. Lakitu instantly started thinking.

_Okay, what should I do first? I have no idea when I'll die. I'll have to do something quickly. First, I need to pass my knowledge to another. I'll get an apprentice. I'll teach her, and train her. Then, I'll have her help me in my plan to seal Eo. I'll have to spend more time with Majora, if I can. Do as much as I can to change the attitude of the Scholars. We've been getting lazy, and full of ourselves. I need to bring them back to the original purpose of the Scholars. To research other worlds, and help those in need._ He sighed, and sat down on his cloud. _First, let's find that apprentice._

**Majora**

Majora came back to reality with a gasp and a shudder. Adia was weeping over the lifeless body of her Master, and all the assembled were crying, too. Majora looked at Lakitu, understanding now why he had seemed so different lately, and why he had chosen Adia as his apprentice. Majora looked over to Eo, wondering why the evil had not yet attacked. He quickly understood. Eo was revelling in a boost to his power.

"Yeeess!!" Eo cackled. "Such strength... such power! Ah, had I remembered before that my first kill boosted my power, then I would have eradicated those pesky Heroes!" Majora rose to his feet, and walked over to Lakitus' cloud, Cirrus, and picked it up. He then returned to Lakitus' body, pulling Lakitus' huge notebook from the cloud.

"Adia." He said quietly. The pale girl look up at him. "Here. Lakitus' notes and research. He'd want you to have it."

"Th-thank you." Adia whimpered, taking the book from him. Majora put Lakitus' cloud on the ground, and glared at Eo.

"He will pay." Majora growled. Adia put the book on the ground, and stood beside him.

"He will." She agreed. Without another word, the two lunged at Eo, powering up huge spells. Eo leered at them, grinning.

"FOOLS!" He howled gleefully, knocking them back with a dark wave. Adia and Majora rocketed into a wall. They quickly recovered, and shot at him again, firing their spells. Eo laughed maniacally, and blocked the spells. The two Scholars scowled, and fired more spells in quick succession. Eo lazily blocked them all, laughing all the while. "Your power is nothing to mine! I have gained incredible power from Cloud-rider! Such a strong first kill! Were it someone weaker, you may stand a chance! But, to your misfortune, I killed someone powerful, amplifying my own power! You are nothing compared to me!" He knocked them back again. Adia and Majora struggled to their feet.

"This is a Heroes' job." Majora grumbled. "I guess we got too angry."

"Yeah, we did." Adia agreed. The two staggered over to the others. "Get to work, Heroes. Only you can do this. Maidens, Knight, do everything you can to help them." Adia nodded to Ganondorf, Eraf, and Malon.

"Right." Link said, drawing his sword. He, Mario, Daisy and Nerra walked toward Eo.

"Ha! More pathetic attempts!" Eo spat. "My power is far greater than last time! You don't stand a chance, even with four of you!"

"We shall see." Nerra said acidly.

"Prepare yourself." Daisy said, changing to Myst and drawing her sword, Maldiard. Mario drew his Fairy Sword, and Nerra changed herself to Star-Wing.

"I am ready." Eo growled cheekily.

**Heroes**

Nerra took the air, charging an energy attack, while Mario, Link and Myst ran at Eo. Myst leapt, while Mario and Link ran to either side. Nerra rained down star-like energy balls on Eo, while Myst held her sword to strike Eo in the head. Link and Mario stabbed their swords at Eos' midriff. Eo chortled, and teleported away. Link, Mario and Myst quickly leapt away from where he had been, as the star-orbs slammed into the stone floor. Mario was the first to reach Eo in his new location, and attacked with a storm of sword blows. Eo blocked these all with nothing more than his energy. Link was behind Eo then, lashing a boot at him. Eo blocked this. Myst changed to Daisy, and threw the most powerful Light spell she could at him. Unfortunately, the spell 'Aureola' was nothing more than a tiny flash. Daisy scowled, and turned back to Myst, who dashed to Eo, and swung Maldiard at him, electricity crackling on the swords' blade. Eo batted this aside with ease. Nerra, returning to her Night-Wing form, stayed where she was, charging another attack. The whole room went pitch black, and the sounds of thuds and whacks filled the room. When light returned, Eo was above Nerra, charging a dark beam.

"No way!" Nerra gasped. "No effect?!"

"None at all, you worthless pigeon!" Eo shouted, firing the beam. Nerra flew out of the way. She began to power up her own attack, when she noticed that the beam had changed direction, and was now coming at her again. She screamed, and flapped her wings furiously to try and escape. It followed her every move. Link was in front of Eo then, charging his sword with some leftover energy from the Chaos Emeralds. He swung with as much strength as he dared. The blade smashed through Eos' forcefield, and screeched at the Evil Ones' body. There was a clang, and the screeching stopped. Eo chuckled, and Link roared. Eo had caught the blade. Link roared again, then thrust his boot at Eos' face. This caught Eo off-guard, and the boot connected, making him drop the sword. Link descended back to the ground, and was quickly replaced by Mario and Myst, swords ready to strike. Eo was still in shock from his lapse in concentration, and the pain, and failed to see the two Heroes bearing upon him. Marios' sword sliced through his face first, then Mysts' followed, making the cut a clean slice in half. Eo howled in agony, while Mario and Myst landed and turned for another strike.

"HELP!" Nerra's voice cried. The other three Heroes turned to look, and saw that she was still being chased by the energy beam. Mario charged his energy scythes, aiming to cut the beam to shreds. Then, a wall of darkness slammed him into the ground. His pained cry was barely audible above the crunching of stone.

"Myst, take Eo." Link said, running to help Nerra. Myst looked back at Eo, who was already bringing down a huge thin blade of dark on the girl. She evaded it, barely. The blade hit the ground, then travelled along it, chasing the girl. She gasped, and leapt over it. She landed on the other side of the blade, but it stopped and moved toward her again.

"Link!" Myst wailed. Link, however, was busy. No matter how much energy he put into his sword, he couldn't make a dent in the beam. To make matters worse, it was travelling too fast for Nerra to turn and counter it.

"We're losing." Link whispered to himself. He turned back to Eo. "Nerra, use smaller attacks, try to slow it down. I've gotta help Mario and Daisy."

"I'll try." Nerra whimpered, already tiring from the chase. Link dashed over to Eo as silently as he could.

_Fire Flower!_ Erafs' voice cried in his mind. The Fire Flower, which Link had received from Daisy, appeared in his hand.

_Work._ Link said to the Fire Flower. Links' t-shirt became white, and his leggings turned red. Fire Link. He threw a cluster of fireballs at Eo, then turned and hurled a tidal wave of flame at the beam chasing Nerra. He didn't wait to see if it worked. He focussed on Eo again. Thankfully, Eo was being busied by Mario, who had freed himself from the block of darkness that had been crushing him. Unfortunately, Myst was still trying to avoid the giant dark blade. Upon seeing Link, she quickly leapt at Eo again, the blade following her. Eo tutted, and knocked her back at the last moment. Then, his own dark blade ripped through his body. The beam following Nerra faltered, but didn't disappear. The dark blade passed through Eo, then turned, went around Eo, and chased Myst again. Mario found himself being grabbed by tentacles from the block of darkness, which dragged him into it again. Link threw more flames at Eo. Eo put up a shield, upon which the fireballs fizzled out. Suddenly, Link was on the other side of shield, sweeping his sword at Eo. Eo grabbed the sword, stopping Links' attack dead. Link struggled against Eos' immense physical strength for a moment, then something amazing happened. Something that no-one expected to see.

Eo broke the Master Sword in two.

Link stared in terrified awe at the handle and remaining third of the Master Sword. Then, another shattering noise distracte him. Myst, having tried to attack the dark blade that persued her, had shattered her sword on it. Then, Mario emerged from the dark block, his Fairy Sword nothing more than a handle. Then, an ear-splitting scream as the dark beam finally caught up to Nerra, sweeping her up and pounding her into a wall. She crumpled to the floor, unmoving. Eo grinned malevolently, then smashed his fist into Links' face, releasing a burst of energy, and knocking him into another wall. Link didn't get up again. Mario howled, throwing the Fairy Sword handle aside, and ran at Eo. A pillar of dark energy burst from beneath him, slamming him into the ceiling, then disappearing. Mario fell to the floor with a loud crack. He didn't move. Eo turned to the final obstacle and annoyance, Myst. She was desperately trying to avoid the dark blade. Eo made another one, on her opposite side, then another above her. Myst whimpered pitifully, then the three blades converged on her. Her agonised scream lasted barely a second, then stopped.

"I am..." Eo said, somewhat shocked. "...won. I am won. I have won!" He laughed loudly, shaking the very walls with his laughter. "I am more powerful than the legendary Heroes! All the worlds shall be mine!" The walls continued to shake. Eo flew up, and through the ceiling. Adia shrieked.

"He can't!" She cried. "I... I can't fail my Master! I have to see them to victory!" She dashed over to Link. "Link! Link, my dear brother, get up! Please!" Tears fell from her face. "Please! You can't lose! You're a Hero!" Links' red and white clothes resumed their normal black colour. "No! It's not... it can't..."

"Guys.. you should see this." Might said from a window. All those still conscious, except Adia, rushed over to him.

"Oh, Gods..." Majora whispered. "We've failed..." All the worlds in the Void were moving toward the fortress at incredible speed. The nearest one to them, Mushroom Kingdom, was almost touching the castle.

"Everyone!" A voice cried. Everyone turned to see Luigi. "Oh, no..." The green-garbed plumber gasped, shaking. "I'm... too late... I'm so sorry! I tried to help, but I couldn't get in!"

"It's okay." Adia said, getting to her feet. "For now, lets' get out of here. We'll wait in the Void until the worlds join, then we'll go... somewhere, and heal our Heroes."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Shadow asked.

"No." Adia said sadly. "Eo took the four Heroes out, with one attack for each. He's too strong right now. All we can do is wait, and pray that someone strong enough comes to stop him. Everyone who can teleport others, take us out of here." She powered up a teleportation spell. Majora, Luigi and Mitrea did the same.

--

Everyone hovered in the Void, surrounded by what Majora had dubbed a 'world sphere', which enabled them to speak. They watched from afar as the worlds collided into Eos' fortress. Luigi held Myst in his arms, Ganondorf held Nerra, Mighty held Link, and Erk held Mario. Adia stood beside Majora, still weeping. Majora gentle patting her on the shoulder.

"It'll be okay." He assured her. "You said yourself, someone will come to stop Eo. We just have to bide our time and wait."

"I... I know, but.. I-I f-f-f-failed... my Master..." The pale girl weeped. "His d-dying wish was that I lead the H-Heroes to victory-y... and I failed!" She whined loudly, burying her face in Majora's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Majora rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'm so sorry, everyone." Luigi said miserably. "I tried... so hard... to come and help. But I couldn't get in."

"We know." Ganondorf said. "Don't worry. At least you tried."

"I thought..." Mitrea whispered. "That you would win... because we were on your side, even if we weren't with you."

"You weren't on either side." Majora told them. "You chose to help Mario in his fight, but you never _actually_ joined his side. There is a difference."

"I'm sorry." Luigi sighed.

"It's fine. The worlds are picky like that." Majora sighed, too. "Like Adia said; we just wait. It's all we can do."

-

Some time later, the group flew into the gargantuan orb, that was all worlds combined. On Adias' suggestion, they willed themselves to the part that was Hyrule. They appeared near Link and Malons' house, which was all that was left of Lon Lon Ranch. They went inside, and laid the injured on beds and sofas.

"What now?" Mighty asked.

"We need to make a resistance group of some form." Majora told them. "I'll go to the University, see who I can get to join us. Shadow and Mighty, go to the Mobius area. Try to find the others." Shadow and Mighty nodded. Shadow then grabbed Mightys' arm, and ran from the house. "Erk and Nino, I'll teleport you to the Elibe area, you try to find some help." He did this. "Luigi, I'm sending you to Mushroom Kingdom. Try and find Bowser, Princess Peach, and anyone else who might join us." He teleported Luigi. "Ganondorf, you need to find Princess Zelda, and your army. See if you can talk the Sages into helping us, too." Ganondorf didn't respond, and used his Triforce of Power to teleport away. Majora sighed. "Adia, tend to everyones' wounds." With that, he teleported. Adia set about healing the Heroes, and Malon.

-

After some time, the Heroes had calmed down from their initial anger of failing. It had taken alot of soothing from Eraf, Malon and Adia, but they had managed it. Adia explained the resistance group to the Heroes. Five minutes of silence followed, which was then disturbed by a knock at the door, startling them all. Adia answered it.

"Who is it?" She asked cautiously. For a moment, she couldn't see anyone. Then, she looked down. "Fionie? What're you doing here?" Indeed, Fionie stood there, wearing a rudimentary dress made from feathers.

"My name is Fionie." The girl replied. "But, who are you?"

"Who am... oh, I see. My name is Adia. It's a long explanation as to how I know you. Please, come in." She stepped aside.

"Who's this?" Link asked as Fionie walked into the room.

"Ah, yes..." Adia said slowly, staring at Fionie. "Link, Malon... allow me to introduce Fionie... er... your... daughter."

"What?" Malon gasped. "Adia, is this a joke?"

"No, Malon. This is your daughter, the one Eo stole. By some miracle, she has survived, but grown to this physical age."

"They're my parents?" Fionie asked Adia.

"They are, little Fionie. Your Daddy saved you from the nasty monster."

"Quezacotl isn't nasty. She was being used by Eo."

"I meant Eo, not the Quezacotl. Your Daddy saved you from him."

"Daddy..." Fionie looked at Link. Then, she took a slow, tentative step forward. Another followed, then another. Her pace quickened, and then she ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "My Daddy!" She cried, hugging him tight. Link returned the hug.

"Fionie." Link said gently.

"Yes, Daddy?" Fionie looked up at him.

"Go give your mum a hug, too."

"Yes, Daddy." Fionie nodded, and pattered, for she had no footwear, over to Malon. She stared at her mother for a moment. "Mum?"

"Yes, Fionie. I'm your mum."

"Mum!" Fionie said happily, hugging her tight. "My Mum and Daddy!" She started to cry. "I'm so happy!"

"My baby!" Malon sobbed. "I thought I'd lost you!"

--

Several days later, a knock at the door alerted everyone to guests. Adia answered, and saw Majora, Erk, Nino, Shadow, Mighty, Luigi and Ganondorf stood there. Behind them, Pent, Louise, Sonic, Amy, Peach, Bowser and his army, Zelda, and Ganondorfs' army.

"We're back." Nino said, smiling. Her smile seemed to make her scars fade away.

"Welcome back." Adia said happily.

"What's this about a resistance group?" Bowser asked. "Its' against that Eo, right? Consider me and my army in."

"Right." Peach agreed, her right arm hooked around Bowsers' left. Shadow stepped back into the crowd, and took Amys' hand.

"Everyone, outside." Adia called into the house. "The groups' here." Everyone walked to, and out of, the door.

"So, what now?" Pent asked.

"Well, first we need to set up hideouts in the different areas." Adia began.

"Sides." Shadow said. "We should call them sides. This is Hyrule Side, for example."

"Fair enough. Hideouts in the different sides. You can all set up in either your own side, or go elsewhere. As long as we know where to find you." Everyone nodded. "But, there's not really alot we can do ourselves. Fight against Eos' followers, and help residents in need. Other than that, really... we just have to wait for someone... or some_ones_, who can fight Eo."

"Sounds like a plan." Sonic said happily. "What're you going to call yourselves?"

"You mean 'we', Sonic." Shadow told him.

"No, not really. You and Amy can join them, but me and the others are going to form our own group. That way, we'll have two groups. I like to think it'll make things more difficult for Eo. He won't know who's doing what."

"That's fine." Adia agreed. "But yet, a name..." She thought for a moment.

"I've got one." Mighty spoke up. "I guess it's kinda fitting, considering our cause."

"What is it?"

**The Seperationists**

"Because, we want to seperate the worlds again." Mighty sounded proud of himself.

"The Seperationists it is, then." Adia confirmed. "Majora, where are the Scholars?"

"They decided to stay in the University. They're ploughing though every book the Library has, trying to find a way to defeat Eo, seperate the worlds, or if there's any texts about an Eo-defeating champion."

"Have they agreed to help us, then?"

"Yes. This is their way. They also offer magic and combat lessons to whoever wants them, and some teaching of the ways of the worlds, since we'll be crossing across them alot."

"Yes, that would be useful." Adia nodded. "Um... Sonic, you can go back to Mobius Side, now, since you're not joining us."

"I guess. I'll come see you guys later. Shadow, what're you and Amy gonna do?" The blue hedgehog asked.

"I plan to stay with The Seperationists." Shadow replied.

"Amy?"

"I'm going to stay with Shadow." Amy said, gripping Shadows' hand tighter. Sonic nodded, then sped away.

"So, everyone..." Adia said. "Um, sorry for dragging everyone all this way for so little..."

"No problem." Bowser said. "I wouldn't miss the forming of this for the world. Any of them." He grinned, and Peach tittered.

"Well, I guess that's everything. We'll be in touch if we need anything."

"Fair enough. Care to take us all home, Luigi?" Bowser asked the green plumber. Luigi nodded, and teleported them. The others were all returned to the sides, too.

"One last thing, then." Adia said, turning to the others. "Nerra, Daisy, come over here please." The two looked at each, then walked forward. "I find it odd that even though you two have been together for a few days, you've never once touched each other in any way."

"Um... so?" Daisy asked.

"Shake hands."

"Why?"

"Just do it." Adia said eagerly. Nerra and Daisy shrugged, then shook hands.

**Night-Wing**

Daisy floated by the orb that was Elibe. A spike was shooting from it, about to swallow her up. Then, some glowing lines shot toward her. The lines touched her at the same time as the spike. Something amazing happened. Daisy split into three.

-

One Daisy went into Elibe in the past, where she was raised as Ella by Lord Pent. One day, she would return to Sarasa Land and rule.

-

A second Daisy went into Elibe in the present, where she was named 'Myst' by Nino and the others. Eventually, she would regain her memories, and become a Hero.

-

The third Daisy tumbled along the lines, the TimeLines, falling further and further into the past, losing all memory. She would be found by a powerful sorcerer, given her wings and current abilities, and then banished to the Nether, where she would be rescued by Lakitu and placed in Ganondorfs' care.

-

Daisy, Myst, Ella and Nerra were all the same person. Erk had felt he knew Daisy because she had once been Ella. Nerra had fallen in love with Luigi because of a lingering connection between herself and Daisy.

-

On this day, Daisy and Nerra were reunited, and learned of their true selves.

**The Seperationists**

"Oh... my... goodness..." Nerra gasped.

"Wow..." Daisy breathed.

"We're..."

"The same."

"I knew it." Adia said happily. "You two are the same person. Now, the question remains. Will you two remain seperate? Or become one again?"

"If I join with her..." Daisy and Nerra said in unison, "I'll have to be away from-"

"Luigi." Daisy finished.

"Ganny." Nerra finished.

"So, we'll stay seperate." The two said in unison.

"Good, good." Adia said happily, as Luigi and Ganondorf stepped forward and hugged their lovers, whispering 'thank you' into their ears. "Now, we just need to build up our forces, and prepare to fight Eos' armies."


	32. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Protect the University!" Bowser screamed at the other Scholars, as Eos' army advanced on the Scholars' University. "Down to the last of us!" He charged a spell, one in each hand.

"Do _not_ break this line!" Majora yelled at them.

--

"I'm off, Malon." Link called into the house, tightening his boot straps. "Fionie, take care of your Mum while I'm gone." He scratched large scar on the left side of his face.

"Yeah, Daddy." A voice replied.

"Hey, don't I at least get a hug?" Link asked. There was a scuffing of chair legs, a pattering of bare feet on wood, and Fionie appeared beside him, throwing her arms around him.

"Be careful, Daddy. Come back alive." She said gently, kissing him soundly on the cheek.

"I will, sweetie. No worries." Fionie released Link as he stood and left his house.

--

Mario and Eraf sat in their apartment on Earth Side, waiting for a signal. When this signal appeared, the two were to attack the soldiers of Eos' army that patrolled the streets, distracting them, so some refugees from Eos' prison could escape to a hideout in the nearby world of Johto. The signal, someone shouting 'Go!' in their minds, sounded, and the two leapt to their feet and out the door.

--

Nerra flew over Clock Town, Termina, watching for the incoming army. Ganondorf and his own army stood in groups, by each of the gates, waiting.

"They're here!" Nerra called. "North and west gates!" The two groups guarding the south and east gates rushed over to the north and west.

--

Erk and Nino stood by Castle Reglais, fending off a small army of evil creatures. Creatures who's evil and cruelty could rival Eo's. Nino blasting through them relentlessly, her brilliant power shining through. Erk ruthlessly cutting them down, his immense knowledge showing.

--

Luigi and Daisy stood side by side, facing the army coming toward Sarasa Castle. Bowsers' army stood by them, prepared to follow their orders. The leader of the opposing army ordered the charge, and Luigi and his army copied.

--

Adiana, the Head Scholar, and Mitrea, now partners, flew through the Void, searching for the Nether. They planned to attempt to bargain with some of them, offering them freedom if they agreed to help fight Eo, and join the Scholars permanently.

**End of The Legend of Zelda and Peach: Echoes and Visions**

Majora looked at the figures stood in the centre of Hyrule's Market Town. There stood the current Link; Hero of The Four Elements, the current Zelda; Princess of Light, and the only Ganondorf; Lord of Darkness. These three together made up the very composite of life; the four base elements, light and dark. Almost a holy trinity, Majora mused. A red-headed girl dashed towards them, followed by a girl with night-black wings and hair. The red-head was Malon, who had also become timeless, by being the bride of Link. The night-black haired girl was Nerra, an anomaly in many senses of the word. A seperated half of a princess, a girl who could become stronger depending on the memories of those around her, yet she lost her own every time she entered a new world. Malon embraced Link, while Nerra embraced Ganondorf, kissing him tenderly on the lips, drawing a smile from the Dark Lord. Zelda smiled at the couples, then looked over to Majora. A grin spread across her face as she beckoned him over. Majora returned the grin, and started to move toward her. Then, he paused. For a brief moment, he remembered Lakita Tuan; Lakitu, his now-deceased boyfriend. Majora shook his head, reminding himself to move on, as Lakitu would have wanted.

_Perhaps. But don't forget me completely._

Majora gasped. The voice had been in his head, so it was telepathy, but who was it? He could have staked his life on the fact that it was Adiana telepathing him, but it sounded so much like Lakitu. Majora's thought was cut short by Zelda calling him over again, accompanied by encouragement from the others standing there. Majora sighed, and walked toward Zelda. He placed his hands gently on her hips, and pressed his lips against hers. The six turned toward the main gate. Majora looked at the others, and they nodded, signifying their readiness. Bracing themselves, they walked outside the gate, preparing themselves for combat. After all, Evil never rests.


End file.
